Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan has acknowledged the need for Pakistan to mend ties with India but made it clear that good relationship would be impossible while the nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is in power.
In an interview with British newspaper The Telegraph on Monday, the former premier underscored the economic benefits if the two neighbors establish trade with each other.
“The benefits would be enormous,” he said, but then contended that New Delhi’s stance on Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) was the main impediment.
“I think it’s possible, but the BJP government is so hardline, they have a nationalistic stance on issues.”
“It is frustrating as you have no chance (for a resolution) as they whip up these nationalistic feelings,” the PTI chief told The Telegraph, adding that once this genie of nationalism is out of the bottle it is very difficult to put it back in again.
“All we know is that they need a roadmap for resolving the Kashmir conflict. Pakistanis find it incomprehensible that India has trampled on the international community’s decision to grant Kashmiris the right to choose their future through a plebiscite.” He added.
Imran continued by saying that after India denied IIOJK statehood, Pakistan had to cool things off with the neighboring nation.
In August 2019, Pakistan downgraded its trade connections with India legally to Israel’s level, with which Islamabad has no trade links at all. In response to India’s decision to remove Article 370 of its constitution, which gave occupied Kashmir a unique status, the decision was made.
If re-elected as premier, the PTI leader continued, he would work to build positive ties with Pakistan’s neighbors, including Afghanistan, Iran, China, and the US.
“We must establish ties with both nations. What I do not want is a situation where we are grouped together like we were during the previous Cold War when we were allies with the United States.” he declared.
