DAVOS: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said that there is no danger of war between nuclear–arch rivals India and Pakistan and we want peaceful resolution of all outstanding disputes.
Speaking during an interview with the International Media Council on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, he said that the international community including United Nation and the United States must intervene in current situation to prevent tensions between the two countries from reaching a point of no return.
Imran Khan said that the United Nations should send observers along the Line of Control (LoC) to assess the situation.
The prime minister said that the previous governments have made mistake of agreeing what they couldn’t deliver as a result we lost 70,000 people in this war on terror and in the end we [Pakistan] was held responsible for the US not succeeded. He said Pakistan for the first time has decent ties with US, adding that Islamabad want to promote trade with Washington.
He said the situation in Afghanistan has always impacted Pakistan and only long term prosperity can come with peace in the war torn country. Imran Khan appreciated the policy of Trump administration to hold dialogue and talks with Taliban to come out of Afghan imbroglio.
Replying to a question, he said when his government came to power, he immediately reached out towards India to improve bilateral relations between the two countries as he strongly believed that only way forward is settlement of disputes through talks. However, the Prime Minister regretted that, India resorted to hostility towards Pakistan after the Pulwama incident.
He said after winning his second term, Indian Prime Minister Modi unilaterally annexed the Occupied Kashmir by revoking its independent status that was granted in Indian constitution. Imran Khan said Kashmiri people have been held hostage for the last five months with innumerable human rights violations.
On a question regarding probability of conflict between India and Pakistan, he ruled out any immediate clash between the two countries. However, he expressed worry that India could again launch a strike inside Pakistan on the pretext of any other Pulwama like incident.
The Prime Minister urged the US and international community to take stock of the situation and play their role in resolving the Kashmir issue. He also impressed upon them to send international observers on fact finding mission in Kashmir as it is becoming a flash point between two nuclear armed neighbors.
PM meets Executive Chairman of World Economic Forum
Prime Minister Imran Khan met with Executive Chairman of World Economic Forum (WEF) Prof. Dr. Klaus Schwab at WEF Congress Center at Davos on Wednesday.
The Prime Minister congratulated Prof. Schwab on the 50th anniversary of the World Economic Forum.
PM Khan emphasized that the issues being highlighted by WEF this year are also relevant to Pakistan. Govt of Pakistan is addressing the impacts of climate change through implementation of “Clean Green Pakistan Program” including plantation of 10 billion trees.
PM Khan stated that Pakistan is also focusing on skills enhancement for youth as it considers its significant youth population as driver of economic growth.
Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed the desire that WEF can partner with Pakistan on important social welfare initiatives for poverty alleviation and education.
US-Iran conflict
Prime Minister Imran Khan has stressed the need for dialogue to defuse tensions between the United States (US) and Iran saying any conflict between the two countries would be disastrous for the entire region.
“It would be a disaster if this conflict takes place between the US and Iran. Look at Afghanistan. It has almost been 19 years and we are still finding a solution, still trying to get peace talks and ceasefire going, and still people are dying in Afghanistan despite spending trillions of dollars,” he said in an interview to an American TV channel on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.
“Does the US want another conflict,” PM Imran Khan questioned, cautioning that the conflict with Iran would be “much, much more difficult than Afghanistan.”
He stressed that people should never rely on a military solution, adding when one uses the military to solve one problem, five more problems spring up.
Former president Pervez Musharraf, when he was joining the US war on terror, said it will only span few weeks or maximum two-three months, he recalled, adding, “War is never a solution. People who try to solve issues through bloodshed and war always cause mayhem in the world.”
A conflict right now with Iran would be disastrous for developing countries as oil prices will shoot up, counties like Pakistan that are “balancing budgets” will lose everything, and poverty will be on the rise, the premier said.
About the Kashmir dispute, PM Imran Khan said India has been taken over by “extremist ideology” that could potentially spill over into armed conflict between the two nuclear rivals.
“Kashmir is, you know, it’s a far more serious problem than people realize, (than) the world realizes. The problem is that India has been taken over by an extremist ideology, which is called Hindutva or the RSS,” he said.
“This is serious because there are two nuclear-armed countries,” Imran Khan said. “That’s why I want President Trump, head of the most powerful country in the world — he should intervene right now. United Nations, or President Trump through the U.N. at least.
“Kashmir is a disputed territory between Pakistan and India,” Khan said.
