Digital Desk: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday said that he wants to have a television debate with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to resolve tensions between the two countries.
During an interview with Russia's state-run television network RT, Khan made the comments on the eve of his first two-day visit to Moscow. During his visit, he will meet President Vladimir Putin to share views on regional and international issues.
In answer to a query, Khan stated, "I would love to debate with Narendra Modi on television."
He went on to say that resolving issues between Pakistan and India via debate would be highly beneficial for the people of the subcontinent.
Further, Imran Khan said that when his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, came to power in 2018, he immediately went out to India and asked the Indian leadership to sit down at the table and discuss the Kashmir issue. However, he expressed disappointment that India did not respond positively to his call.
Notably, ties between India and Pakistan have deteriorated since the terror attack on the Pathankot Air Force base in 2016 by Pakistan-based extremist groups. Further, the relationship deteriorated after other attacks, including one on an Indian Army camp in Uri.
After India's war jets bombed a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist training centre deep within Pakistan on February 26, 2019, in response to the Pulwama terror incident in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed, the relationship deteriorated to an extreme point.
In August of this year, India announced the withdrawal of Jammu and Kashmir's special powers and the division of the state into two union territories, resulting in bitterness between the two neighbouring countries.
On the other hand, India has repeatedly told Pakistan that Jammu & Kashmir "was, is, and will forever" remain an integral part of the country. It also urged Pakistan to recognize reality and refrain from spreading anti-India propaganda.
PM Khan also voiced optimism for a "peaceful solution" to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, emphasizing that military combat can never solve problems.
"Military conflicts do not appeal to me. I believe civilized society resolves differences via discourse, but countries that rely on military wars have not properly studied history." PM Khan stated.
Moreover, Khan stated that he was confident that people in Ukraine and Russia were aware of the potential implications of a conflict.
President Vladimir Putin signed decrees on Monday recognizing the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics of Ukraine as independent states, heightening regional tensions and raising worries of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. According to the Kremlin, he also sent Russian troops into eastern Ukraine for a "peacekeeping" mission in the Moscow-backed territories.
On the other hand, the West, led by the United States, has warned Russia that its actions in Ukraine will have serious consequences.
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