ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has invited India’s incoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit, just hours after India’s opposition candidate secured a crushing victory in the world’s largest election.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif came to power last year promising to improve relations with India, but a series of clashes on the Kashmir border has cast doubt over the peace process.

“Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif spoke to Narendra Modi on the phone this afternoon and congratulated him on this remarkable election victory and invited him to visit Pakistan,” Sartaj Aziz, Sharif’s adviser on national security and foreign affairs, said.

“Of course the process (for the visit) will take some time, initial contacts still have to be made. But the invitation is there.”

The fact that outgoing Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh did not visit Islamabad, despite being invited, has caused tension with Pakistan in recent years. A visit by an Indian leader would be seen as a major turning point in the relationship between the two countries.

Indian officials were not immediately available for comment.

Pakistan’s foreign ministry said it welcomed Modi’s victory and looked forward to working with him.