Pakistan’s ousted prime minister Imran Khan on Monday mentioned he needed to enhance strained relations with India throughout his tenure however the revocation of Kashmir’s particular standing turned a “hurdle.”
Lahore,UPDATED: Dec 20, 2022 04:23 IST
Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan. (File picture/PTI)
By Press Trust of India: Pakistan’s ousted prime minister Imran Khan on Monday mentioned he needed to enhance strained relations with India throughout his tenure however the revocation of Kashmir’s particular standing turned a “hurdle.” Khan, the 70-year-old former cricketer-turned-politician, additionally mentioned that then Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa was much more inclined to have higher ties with India.
“I wanted to improve relations with India during my three-and-a-half year tenure but the RSS ideology and revocation of (Jammu and Kashmir) special status became a hurdle,” the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) social gathering chairman mentioned throughout his interplay with a gaggle of international journalists at his Zaman Park residence right here.
Khan mentioned after India revoked Kashmir’s standing in 2019 his authorities didn’t push for talks. “We wanted India to reverse its decision first and hold peace talks,” he mentioned.
Responding to a query from the Press Trust of India (PTI) about who was working international coverage in direction of India throughout his tenure, he or then Gen Bajwa, Khan replied: “I was the boss…I was running the foreign policy. However, let me tell you that Gen Bajwa was even more inclined to have better ties with India.” Khan just lately mentioned he didn’t have the facility throughout his tenure as Gen Bajwa was the person who was calling the photographs.
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When reminded that he had expressed his want forward of elections in India that Narendra Modi ought to win and as he would resolve the Kashmir difficulty, Khan mentioned: “I still believe that a leader from the right-wing party can resolve a conflict. Modi was from the right-wing party which was why I wanted him to return to power and resolve the Kashmir issue. The right-wing party in a country opposes resolution of any such issue.” Relations between India and Pakistan have usually been strained over the Kashmir difficulty and cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan.
However, the ties between the 2 nations nosedived after India abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution, revoking the particular standing of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcating the State into two Union Territories on August 5, 2019.
Khan additionally launched a scathing criticism of Gen Bajwa who retired late final month.
“Gen Bajwa unleashed a reign of terror on us during the last seven months as our leaders were brutally tortured (at his behest). Gen Bajwa is also responsible for economic disaster in the country,” he alleged.
When requested who was answerable for ousting him from energy – the US or Gen Bajwa – Khan mentioned: “Gen Bajwa was mainly responsible for sending my government home despite we were performing well on the economic front. He wanted to give NRO (favour) to the thieves — Sharifs and Zardaris — that was why he conspired against my government. The role of the US should be determined through investigation of a cypher in this respect by a judicial commission.” Earlier, Khan had blamed the US for conspiring to oust him from energy, a cost denied by Washington.
Khan additionally raised an alarm in regards to the Afghan battle.
“Currently, no one at the helm knows how to handle the Afghan situation. Pakistan cannot afford conflict with Afghanistan. Our foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari must go to Afghanistan instead of roaming around in the world as it is a very serious matter,” he added.
The assaults on the border have strained relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers in latest months. Pakistan and Afghanistan share a 2,600-km risky border.
Earlier this month, Pakistan’s Embassy in Kabul got here underneath gunfire in an assault that was later claimed by the Islamic State group. Pakistani officers on the time had referred to as the incident an assault on its envoy there. Islamabad additionally has mentioned Afghanistan’s rulers are sheltering militants who perform lethal assaults on its soil.
Published On:
Dec 20, 2022
