Pakistan would give up nuclear weapons if India did the same: Imran Khan
Islamabad, July 24 (IBNS): Pakistan PM Imran Khan, who is currently visting the US and met President Donald Trump, has said his nation is ready to give up nuclear weapons if neighbouring country India did the same.
"Because nuclear war is not an option. And between Pakistan and India, the idea of nuclear war is actually self-destruction, because we have two and a half thousand-mile border," Khan was quoted as saying by Fox News.
"Also I think there's a realization in the subcontinent and there was some incident that happened last February and we again had tension at the border," he told the news channel.
"An Indian plane was shot down in Pakistan. So there's a realization and that's why I asked President Trump if he could play his role, the U.S. is the most powerful country in the world, the only country that could mediate between Pakistan and India and the only issue is Kazmir (Kashmir)," he said.
Relationship between India and Pakistan touched new low earlier this year after the Pulwama terror attack.
"I really feel that India should come on the table. The U.S. could play a big part, President Trump certainly can play a big part. We're talking about 1.3 billion people on this Earth. Imagine the dividends of peace if somehow that issue could be resolved," Khan, who is on a maiden US trip, told Fox News.
Trump and his remark on Kashmir triggers controversy:
Earlier reports said US President Donald Trump has offered to help resolve the Kashmir issue between India and Pakistan during his meeting with Pakistan President Imran Khan in Washington.
Hosting Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan at the White House on Monday, Trump said: “If I can help, I would love to be a mediator.” “If I can do anything to help, let me know,” he added, according to reports.
"I was with Prime Minister Modi two weeks ago and we talked about this subject and he actually said 'Would you like to be a mediator or arbitrator', I said 'Where', He said 'Kashmir'. Because this has been going on for many, many years... I think they would like to see it resolved and you (Imran Khan) would like to see it resolved. If I can help, I would love to be a mediator," President Trump said at the joint media briefing with Imran Khan.
The US has held for long that the Kashmir issue should be sorted by India and Pakistan bilaterally.
India rejects Trump's claim
In response to query on President Trump’s remarks, India's Ministry of External Affairs' official spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, “We have seen President Trump's remarks to the press that he is ready to mediate, if requested by India and Pakistan, on the Kashmir issue. No such request has been made by Prime Minister to the US President."
"It has been India's consistent position that all outstanding issues with Pakistan are discussed only bilaterally. Any engagement with Pakistan would require an end to cross border terrorism. The Shimla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration provide the basis to resolve all issues between India and Pakistan bilaterally,” Kumar said.
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