CNN Central News & Network–ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his elder brother and the ruling party supremo Nawaz Sharif on Monday wished Narendra Modi for taking oath as the prime minister for the third consecutive term.

In his message posted on X, Nawaz, the former prime minister and chief of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N), said that Modi’s success in recent elections reflects the confidence of the people in his leadership and asked him to seize the opportunity to shape the destiny of the two billion people of South Asia.

Modi was sworn in as prime minister on Sunday for a record-equalling third term, heading a 72-member Union Council of Ministers in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.

Shehbaz, the only prime minister from India’s neighbourhood who wasn’t invited to the swearing-in ceremony in New Delhi, took to X to wish his counterpart on his return from China, Pakistan’s all-weather ally.

“Felicitations to @narendramodi on taking oath as the Prime Minister of India,” he said in a post.

“My warm felicitations to Modi Ji (@narendramodi) on assuming office for the third time. Your party’s success in recent elections reflects the confidence of the people in your leadership. Let us replace hate with hope and seize the opportunity to shape the destiny of the two billion people of South Asia,” Nawaz said.