Pakistan PM Imran Khan hopes for PM Modi’s return

Islamabad: Pakistan’s Premier Imran  Khan has said he believes there may be a better chance of peace talks with India and settle the Kashmir issue if Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party BJP wins the general elections.

“Perhaps if the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party)....wins, some kind of settlement in Kashmir could be reached,” Mr  Khan told a small group of foreign journalists in an interview. He said other parties would be afraid of right-wing backlash in case of settlement on the Kashmir issue.

Mr Khan said Kashmir was the central issue between the two countries.

India maintains that the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the country and Pakistan is in illegal occupation of a part of the state’s territory.
Reacting to this Congress and other Opposition parties said on Wednesday that a vote for Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a vote for Pakistan.
 
In a scathing attack, the Congress also said Pakistani premier Khan’s remarks reflect that Pakistan has “officially allied” with Modi.

Congress’s chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala launched a blistering attack on Modi over Khan’s comments.

“Pak has officially allied with Modi! A vote for Modi is a vote for Pakistan!” Mr Surjewala tweeted.

“Modi ji, first there was love for Nawaz Sharif and now Imran Khan is your dear friend,” he added in a tweet in Hindi. The truth is out in the open, Mr Surjewala claimed.

Prime Minister Modi has been accusing the Congress of being supportive of Pakistan’s narrative following the Balakot air strikes.

CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury lashed out at Prime Minister Modi over Khan’s remarks, saying now it was known who Pakistan wants as PM.

“Pakistan has been the only issue of Modi’s election campaign, where he has scurrilously tried to link it to Opposition. Now we know who Pakistan actually wants as PM, the only Indian PM to have invited ISI to a military base, and the only one who went to Pakistan uninvited,” he said.

“We have serious concerns about foreign governments influencing our democratic election proce-ss. Last year, it was reported that ISI wants Modi as PM. Now Pakistani

PM says it,” Mr Yechury said.     —PTI