PM Imran Khan has a word of advice for Indian government
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*ISLAMABAD:* Prime Minister Imran Khan Thursday said he tried to reach out to New Delhi since the day he assumed office but received a ‘bad response’ after which he decided to wait until after the Indian election ‘for a gesture from their side’, The Hindu reported.
“I am ready for talks on any issue. However, the gesture for peace cannot be one-sided,” the prime minister told representatives of Indian media here at the PM Office on Thursday.
Imran Khan stressed on his country’s commitment to and desire for peace, saying it was not in Pakistan’s interest to let its soil be used for terrorism, according to The Indian Express. “It is not in our interest to allow the use of Pakistan’s territory for terror outside. People in Pakistan want peace with India. The mindset of people here has changed,” he said.
To a question put forth by India Today TV on what actions his government was taking with respect to the chief of the banned Jamaatud Dawa (JuD), Hafiz Saeed, considered by India to be the mastermind of the 26/11 attacks, the prime minister said there was a legal case against him in Pakistan. “There are UN sanctions against Hafiz Saeed. There is already a clampdown on the Jamaatud Dawa. These are the issues we have inherited,” he said, adding that his government cannot be held responsible for the past. “I can’t be held responsible for the past … hold me to account if I break my promises now,” he said.
When asked whether there would be a ‘grand gesture’ by Pakistan in dealing with Hafiz Saeed or Dawood Ibrahim, Prime Minister Khan said that such gestures can be made ‘only up to a certain point’ following which reciprocity must be demonstrated. “India must reciprocate… we understand till your elections in 6 months but after that, we need a response,” India Today TV quoted him as having said.
