*WASHINGTON – Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that**Shakil Afridi – **aPakistani physician who helped the CIA run a fake hepatitis vaccine programin Abbottabad – can be released in exchange of Dr Aafia Siddiqui, aPakistani neuroscientist jailed in the US for almost a decade.*
In an interview with American TV channel ‘*Fox News’* in Washington, theprime minister mentioned that Indian should come on the negotiation table.“Nuclear war not option, India must abandon nuclear weapons,” he added.
The prime minister said if India complies with this demand Pakistan willalso not use nuclear weapons. He said Pakistan has a comprehensive andeffective nuclear command and control system. He also reaffirmed thatatomic programme of Pakistan in the safe hands.
Imran Khan said the armed forces of Pakistan are professional forces andare fully capable of dealing with every challenge. He said the UnitedStates is the only country which can play a role of *mediator between Indiaand Pakistan to resolve the issue of Kashmir*.
The premier said that prisoner swap issue could be discussed with theUnited States. He said Pakistan and the United States were important alliesin the war on terror and both the countries suffered loss due to mistrustin the past.
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“Taliban should take part in the role of government as theirrepresentatives. America can get good news about their prisoners inAfghanistan in upcoming 24 hours,” PM Khan said.
He said that only elections could bring peace in Afghanistan as the US hasbeen fighting a war in the country for the last four decades but failed tobring peace in the war torn country.
*Talking about US-Iran standoff*, the prime minister said that it couldaffect the peace and economy of the region.
