SEOUL - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that "manavta" or humanity was the basis of his government's foreign policy, which was also visible in the way India helped evacuate Pakistani nationals from Yemen and Pakistan too brought back 11 Indians from the war-torn country.
Addressing the Indian community in Seoul, Modi said: "In Yemen, 4,000 Indians were stranded amid bombings and firings. We requested (Saudi authorities) to stop the bombing for two hours and brought back our people as well as 48 foreign nationals. Even America told its people to contact us to evacuate them from Yemen," he said to loud applause.
"In Yemen, we evacuated Pakistanis too. They too saved Indians and arranged for a special plane to bring them back. The point here is manavta (humanity)."
Last month, Modi had posted his appreciation of the Pakistani evacuation of 11 Indians on twitter and thanked his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif.
Modi wrote on micro-blogging website: "I welcome our 11 citizens who've returned from Yemen with assistance from Pakistan. Thank you PM Nawaz Sharif for your humanitarian gesture."


INDIA WANTS CRICKET SERIES

Report from Kolkata adds: The Indian government has said it was in favour of a proposed India-Pakistan bilateral cricket series that would promote friendship between the neighbouring nations.
"As a sports minister, my main objective is to promote sports. For better friendship and relationship, we want the series to take place," Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Sarbananda Sonowal told media persons on the sidelines of a function.
However, he said a lot of issues remain to be addressed before the series could become a reality.
"There are a lot of issues to be addressed, that's a different part."
Pakistan Cricket Board Chief Shahryar Khan recently flew into the city and met his Indian counterpart Jagmohan Dalmiya on the issue.
Khan later said Pakistan was ready to host the bilateral series comprising three Tests, five ODIs and two T20 games in the United Arab Emirates in December.
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Jagmohan Dalmiya has also showed confidence about the restart of the bilateral engagements, but said the support of the government was a must for the plans to be implemented.
The two neighbours, whose relations have often turned bitter, played their previous bilateral series in December-January 2012-13 when Pakistan toured India.