Says we want a political settlement in Afghanistan
ISLAMABAD, January 8: Two nuclear-armed countries cannot think of war, not even a cold war because it could worsen any time.
Prime Minister Imran Khan said that dialogue is the way forward for Pakistan and India in an interview on TRT World’s The Newsmakers with Imran Garda, which aired Monday night. “You cannot take a chance when two countries have bombs,” he remarked.
“I reiterate that two nuclear-armed countries shouldn’t engage in war. It’s suicide,” he added. The premier said that he has tried to initiate dialogue with India, but to no avail. He said that it can be because India is heading to polls in April and Anti-Pakistan rhetoric gets you votes.
When asked if Khan will criticise the alleged mistreatment of Uighur Muslims in China, the prime minister said that he will deal with it differently. “I will not criticise them publicly,” he remarked. “China has been a breath of fresh air in the doom and gloom we inherited.” He said that they work in a confidential way and have been extremely helpful.
China is going to play a huge part in helping Pakistan revive its economy, he added.
On Pakistan’s volatile relations with the US, Imran Khan said that Pakistan is to be blamed for its lobe-sided relation with the US. “Pakistan, unfortunately, rather than fixing its economy and standing on its two feet has become dependent on aid. Pakistan has allowed itself to be used,” he remarked.
We are still paying the price for fighting the US’s war, he said. “Pakistan is not going to fight someone else’s war now. Pakistan is going to become an ally for peace. We want a political settlement in Afghanistan,” he added.
Imran Khan, who came into power after securing majority votes during the July 25 general election, said that him becoming the premier is a testament to the fact that a genuine popular public movement removed the status quo. “It was very difficult to remove the status quo, which has been embedded in the society for 30 years, through a political transition,” he added. State institutions are no longer controlled by the mafia, they are free to go after who they want, Khan said. He remarked that state institutions were being controlled by the same politicians before so accountability process was quite slow. “The powerful were never held accountable before.”-Agencies
