New Delhi, Oct 23:
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan Tuesday said he hoped to resume efforts to improve ties with India after next year’s general elections there. “One thing Pakistan needs more than any other country right now is peace and security,” Khan was quoted by Reuters as saying. Khan said he had tried to make peace with India but his efforts were not reciprocated. In September, India called off a meeting between foreign minister Sushma Swaraj and her Pakistani counterpart which was to take place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly the same month. The MEA cited the killing of security personnel in Jammu-Kashmir and Pakistan issuing a postage stamp “glorifying” slain Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani. Pakistan had said that India was just looking for excuses to avoid holding talks before next year’s Parliament elections. On Monday, referring to incidents of violence in Kashmir, Khan, in a tweet, said that time has come for India to realise that it must move to resolve the Kashmir dispute through dialogue in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people. “Strongly condemn the new cycle of killings of innocent Kashmiris….by Indian security forces,” he tweeted. Responding to Khan’s remarks, MEA Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said the Pakistan leadership should look inwards and address its own issues. He said Islamabad should stop supporting and glorifying terrorists and terror activities against India and its other neighbours. “The remarks made by Pakistan’s Prime Minister in his tweet today are deeply regrettable. Instead of making comments on India’s internal affairs, Pakistan leadership should look inwards and address its own issues. “Pakistan would serve the interest of the people of the region by taking credible action against all kind of support to terrorism and terror infrastructure from all territories under its control rather than supporting and glorifying terrorists and terror activities against India and its other neighbours,” Kumar said. Khan is in Saudi Arabia to seek loans to reservice debt and shore up Pakistan’s economy. “What we are hoping is that we do a bit of both, get a loan from IMF and other loans from friendly governments,” Khan told an audience at an investment conference in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh.
Islamabad has already asked the IMF to open negotiations for the country’s second potential bailout in five years.
Khan, who took office in July, has also been seeking alternatives to the tough conditions the IMF is likely to impose for loans. Khan is in Saudi Arabia for the second time this month seeking to shore up financial aid as the country reels from a looming balance of payments crisis.
Imran said the country also needs two oil refineries to meet demand, and it was talking to Saudi investors about the projects. Khan said Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was organising a delegation of Saudi businessmen to invest in Pakistan.
