Pakistani PM invites his Indian counterpart to a televised debate
February 23, 2022, 8:07 am

Pakistani PM invites his Indian counterpart to a televised debate

Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan (File photo: official Facebook page)

The Voice of America reported, citing Reuters, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Tuesday he would like to have a televised debate with his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, to resolve differences between the two neighbors.

The nuclear-powered rivals have shared antagonistic relations since gaining independence 75 years ago, fighting three wars, with ties strained recently over the northern Muslim-majority region of Kashmir, which both claim in full.

"I would love to debate with Narendra Modi on TV," Khan told Russia Today in an interview, adding that it would be beneficial for the billion people in the subcontinent if differences could be resolved through debate.

India's Ministry of External Affairs did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

"India became a hostile country so trade with them became minimal," Khan said, stressing his government's policy was to have trade relations with all countries.

Indian PM Narendra Modi (File photo: Official Facebbok page)

Khan's remarks follow similar comments recently by Pakistan's top commercial official, Razzak Dawood, who, according to media, told journalists he supported trade ties with India, which would benefit both sides.

Khan said Pakistan's regional trading options were already limited, with Iran, its southwestern neighbor, under U.S. sanctions and Afghanistan, to the west, involved in decades of war.

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Pakistan shares strong economic ties with its northern neighbor, China, which has committed billions of dollars for infrastructure and other projects under its Belt and Road Initiative.

According to the report, Khan's interview came on the eve of a visit to Moscow, where he will meet President Vladimir Putin - the first visit by a Pakistani leader to Russia in two decades.

The two-day visit for talks on economic cooperation was planned before the current crisis over Ukraine.

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Khan said of the Ukraine crisis: "This doesn’t concern us, we have a bilateral relation with Russia and we really want to strength it."

Source: voa

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.