Peace is likelier if Modi wins, says Imran Khan

Islamabad/New Delhi: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has said he feels there may be a better chance of peace talks with India and of resolving the Kashmir issue if Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP wins India’s general election.

“Perhaps if the BJP wins... some kind of settlement in Kashmir could be reached,” he told a small group of foreign journalists in an interview.

Mr Khan said if the next Indian government was led by the Congress, it might be too scared to seek a peace deal with Pakistan, fearing a backlash by right-wing parties.

Separately, he also said Pakistan was taking action against all militants groups, including the Jaish-e-Mohammed, which had claimed responsibility for the February 14 Pulwama terror attack.

In New Delhi, the Congress on Wedneday accused Prime Minister Modi of “officially” allying with Pakistan and said a vote for him would mean a vote for the neighbouring country. “Pakistan has now officially allied with Shri Modiji. Pakistan Prime Minister appears to say that a ‘Vote-for-Modi is a vote for Imran Khan’. It seems that Pakistan has now officially allied with  Modi. Imran Khan seems to now wish for his friend Modiji’s success,” Congress’ chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said.

The Congress spokesperson said the entire country had seen Mr Modi’s love for Nawaz Sharif and the ISI when he went “uninvited” to Pakistan and “invited” the ISI to India. “It seems the love affair continues with Imran Khan... We want to say Imran Khan and Pakistan will never succeed, nor will the firecrackers in Modiji’s language burst in Pakistan, for Modiji is going to lose the 2019 election”.

Taking a further jibe, senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel said “the true colours are out”, and termed Imran Khan’s statement as “mahamilavat”, a phrase used by Mr Modi to describe the Opposition’s “mahagathbandhan”. “Their true colours are out. This is called Mahamilavat”, Mr Patel tweeted.