Imran faces heat for ‘ diplomatic debacle’
Pak Opp. says PM Khan should have done ‘ homework’
Islamabad, Sept. 23: Pakistan’s two major Opposition parties have questioned the “haste” shown by Prime Minister Imran Khan in making efforts to mend ties with India and held him responsible for the “diplomatic debacle”, saying he should have done his “homework” before suggesting a meeting.
Mr Khan had, in a letter written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sought to re- start bilateral talks on key issues “challenging the relationship”, including terrorism and Kashmir.
India initially agreed to a meeting between foreign minister Sushma Swaraj and her Pakistani counterpart
Shah Mahmood Qureshi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York this month.
However, New Delhi on Friday called off the meeting, citing the “brutal” killing of three policemen in Jammu and Kashmir as well as the release of 20 postal stamps “glorifying” Kashmiri militants, including Burhan Wani.
Dawn reported that two major Opposition parties — the Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz ( PML- N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party ( PPP) — have held the Pakistan Tehreek- eInsaf government responsible for the latest “diplomatic debacle” following New Delhi’s refusal to hold the meeting.
Former foreign minister and PML- N lawmaker Khawaja Mohammad Asif
criticised Mr Khan for stating in the letter that “Pakistan remains ready to discuss terrorism” and said it seemed the government was “not prepared” from the day one. “Too much keenness being shown by the Prime Minister showed weakness on our part. Giving them ( India) too much reflects haste on our part to mend fences with India,” Mr Asif was quoted as saying by Dawn. Mr Asif said he was not against normalisation of relations between India and Pakistan, but “dignity must be maintained”.
He regretted that Mr Khan wrote a letter in which he “talked about terrorism” without realising that the US and India had recently issued a joint statement after the visit of secretary of state Mike Pompeo to New Delhi and Islamabad which was “dead against” Pakistan.
“They ( the US and India) raised all kinds of allegations against Pakistan and you are talking about terrorism ( in the letter). This is a sign of weakness ( on our part),” Mr Asif said. He also criticised Prime Minister Modi, alleging that “he is playing to the gallery” as part of his poll campaign.
PPP vice- president and former envoy to the US Sherry Rehman said that the Imran Khan government should have done its homework before approaching India for a meeting, especially after the initial response.