India has made it clear to Pakistan time and time again that it wants friendly relations with Islamabad in an atmosphere free of antagonism, terrorism, and violence.
Imran Khan wants to see strong links between Pakistan and India, but the BJP government will prevent that from happening.
India has made it clear to Pakistan time and time again that it wants friendly relations with Islamabad in an atmosphere free of antagonism, terrorism, and violence.
Imran Khan, the recently ousted prime minister, stated on Monday that he wants to see good relations between Pakistan and India but that there is “no chance” that this can happen as long as the nationalist BJP is in power.
Khan, 70, discussed the potential financial gains in an interview with the British newspaper “The Telegraph” on Monday. He focused on how trade between the two neighbors may benefit both countries’ economies.
Khan added, “The benefits would be huge,” but went on to say that the Kashmir dispute was the biggest barrier.
I think it’s possible, but the BJP government is so rigid and takes a nationalistic stance on issues, the man said.
It is frustrating because there is no chance (for a resolution) while they stir up these nationalistic sentiments. And once this nationalist genie is let loose, it is very challenging to contain it once more, the former premier was quoted as saying in the newspaper.
The only thing we are certain of, he continued, is that they need to have a plan for how to resolve the Kashmir (issue).
India has repeatedly communicated with Pakistan that it wants to have cordial relations as neighbors with Islamabad in a setting free of terrorism, hostility, and violence.
Khan stated that when the special status of Jammu and Kashmir was abolished in 2019, Pakistan has to cool its ties with India.
Because of the Kashmir dispute and the cross-border terrorism that comes from Pakistan, relations between India and Pakistan have become tense.
Article 370 of the Indian Constitution was repealed on August 5, 2019, and Jammu and Kashmir was divided into two Union Territories. Due to this, bilateral relations were severely damaged.
In response to India’s choice, Pakistan cut off diplomatic relations with New Delhi and expelled the Indian representative. Since then, Pakistan and India’s trade relations have essentially ceased.
Khan, who is heading a long march to Islamabad to advocate for his demands for early elections, stated that if he were to be re-elected as premier, he would work to build positive relationships with all of Pakistan’s neighbors, including Afghanistan, Iran, China, and the US.
“We must establish ties with both nations. His main concern is to avoid a situation in which we are grouped together like we were during the Cold War.
Khan added that his biggest issue for Pakistan was how to get 120 million people out of poverty, adding that “the entirety of Central Asia, Afghanistan, became out of our orbit.”