Imran Khan wants a television debate with Modi to resolve issues
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said today that he would want to have a televised debate with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi to resolve regional problems.
“Trade with them reduced when India became a hostile country,” Imran Khan said, adding that his government’s objective is to have trade links with all nations
With Iran already under US sanctions and Afghanistan embroiled in a decades-long war, Khan stated that Pakistan’s commercial prospects in Asia were limited.
India and Pakistan have had tense relations since their independence 75 years ago, and have battled three wars since then.
In an interview with Russia Today, Imran Khan stated that if conflicts could be resolved through argument, a debate with Narendra Modi would be helpful for billions of people on the Indian subcontinent.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs has yet to respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
In response to a question, Khan stated that his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, reached out to India to address the Kashmir issue as soon as it took power in 2018.
The Indian administration, on the other hand, has remained unresponsive to his overtures.
India recently informed Pakistan that “terror and negotiations cannot exist,” and demanded that its crackdown on terror groups and punish terrorists, some of whom have been labelled as such by the UN.
The Indian government has urged Pakistan to put an end to cross-border terrorism, which it blames on non-state actors who live and operate freely within the country while illegally occupying the land.
According to media reports, Pakistan’s top commercial officer, Razzak Dawood, told reporters that strengthening trade links with India will benefit both sides.
Under the Belt and Road Initiative, China has invested billions of dollars in Pakistan for infrastructure and other projects.
The conversation took place just hours before Imran Khan heads to Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, marking the first time in two decades that a Pakistani politician has visited Russia.
Prime Minister Khan has stated that a “peaceful solution” to the ongoing crisis between Russia and Ukraine is a top priority. He has also stated that military battles cannot be the solution to problems.
Before the current Ukraine conflict, a two-day tour to discuss business cooperation was scheduled.
Mr Khan stated that he was sure that the people of Ukraine and Russia were aware of the consequences of an impending conflict.
