Talks, trade only ways to resolve India conflict: Imran

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday underlined his desire to resolve conflicts with India —including Kashmir — through dialogue and trade, and came out in support of Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu by terming his visit across the border “a goodwill gesture”.

The Pakistan premier wrote on Twitter: “To move forward Pakistan and India must dialogue and resolve their conflicts incl Kashmir: The best way to alleviate poverty and uplift the people of the subcontinent is to resolve our differences through dialogue and start trading.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on Saturday sent a letter to his newly elected Pakistani counterpart, conveying New Delhi’s commitment to build good neighbourly relations and pursue constructive and meaningful engagement.

Khan also said that those targeting Sidhu — also a former cricketer — were doing a “grt disservice to peace in the subcontinent — without peace our (people) cannot progress (sic)”.

Congress leader Sidhu, who attended Khan’s inauguration on Saturday, has been under fire from Opposition parties after he embraced Pakistan Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa during the ceremony. Khan said in his tweet: “I want to thank Sidhu for coming to Pakistan for my oath taking. He was an ambassador of peace & was given amazing love & affection by ppl of Pakistan (sic)”.

Khan’s comments come a day after his foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said at a press conference that “a continued, uninterrupted dialogue, which is the path of wisdom”.

Sidhu himself has said that his embracing Bajwa was a gesture made in an “emotional moment” and that his trip was not politically motivated. “Pakistan army chief said they were making efforts to open corridor to Kartarpur Sahib, what followed was an emotional moment,” he told reporters on Tuesday.