Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf Chairman Imran Khan has said the present leadership of Pakistan and India lack the courage and conviction to resolve the issues between the two countries.
In a statement here Wednesday, Imran Khan said while PM Modi is a prisoner of his extremist right wing supporters, PM Sharif conveys a deep-rooted fearfulness of the Establishment. This inability to move forward confidently by Sharif is also undermining the credibility of the Pakistan military at a critical juncture in our history when the military is combatting terrorism across the country.
Chairman PTI Imran Khan expressed shock over the revelation by an Indian journalist that the Pakistani Prime Minister had held a secret “deniable” meeting with his Indian counterpart in 2014 on the sidelines of the SAARC Summit in Kathmandu.
Khan said he believed peace between Pakistan and India was critical for the prosperity of the people of the subcontinent, especially as peace will ensure economic vibrancy through trade and investment opportunities. He added, the best way to reduce poverty in the subcontinent is through peace and trade. However, peace requires conflict resolution and de-escalation of military tensions along the border, the LOC and the Working Boundary. Khan also asserted that it is the leadership that must take bold initiatives and convince their people to move forward with dignity and confidence.
Chairman PTI asserted that leaders lead and initiate policies especially when political breakthroughs are required. Leaders are expected to convince their nations of their initiatives, not hide and have “deniable” secret meetings through their business interests. Leaders should not be held hostage to the past – but must carry their nations forward learning the lessons of the past.