Imran Khan rules out negotiations with India till special status of Kashmir is restored

PAKISTAN prime minister Imran Khan has ruled out any negotiations with India until the special status of Jammu and Kashmir which New Delhi scrapped in August 2019 is revoked.

“Pakistan will not hold talks with India until it rescinds the illegal steps (abrogation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir) of 5th August 2019”, the prime minister said on Tuesday (11).

Khan’s remarks came days after his joint statement with Saudi Arabia's crown prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah that emphasised dialogues between Pakistan and India to resolve the Kashmir issue.

“The two sides emphasised the importance of dialogue between Pakistan and India to resolve the outstanding issues between the two countries, especially the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, to ensure peace and stability in the region,” the joint statement had said.

The prime minister is said to be concerned over the “maltreatment” of Muslims and other minorities in India. He added that India’s attempts to negate China’s growing military and economic power will come a cropper and “it will suffer in the process”.

Tensions between India and Pakistan spiked after New Delhi scrapped the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and reduced its status from statehood to a federally administered territory through parliamentary action. India’s action was followed by months of communication blockade in Jammu and Kashmir and protests across the border.

The defence forces of the two countries announced on February 25 that they agreed to observe a ceasefire along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.

Meanwhile, the distribution of rice donated by Saudi Arabia has begun in Pakistan with the opposition Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) mocking the charity as an outcome of Khan’s recent state visit to the kingdom.

Under its Zakat al Fitr project, the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre of Saudi Arabia announced 440 tons of rice for Pakistan where it is being distributed through provincial governments in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said Khan achieved nothing except 19,000 bags of rice in charity from Saudi Arabia.

However, the prime minister’s special assistant Tahir Ashrafi said the decision for this year’s distribution had been taken at least a month ago.