PAKISTAN’S prime minister Imran Khan said on Tuesday (22) he would like to have a televised debate with his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, to resolve differences between the two neighbours.
"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.
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 neighbour, under US sanctions and Afghanistan, to the west, involved in decades of war.
Pakistan shares strong economic ties with its northern neighbour, China, which has committed billions of dollars for infrastructure and other projects under its Belt and Road Initiative.
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.
"This doesn’t concern us, we have a bilateral relation with Russia and we really want to strength it," Khan said of the Ukraine crisis.
6.9K views · 135 reactions | I’m genuinely shocked and saddened by reports that Will Jackson, Conservative candidate for North Harrow in the elections next month, has told British-born Asian MPs like Rishi Sunak and Shabana Mahmood that they are “not British” and should “go back to Pakistan,” He also suggested figures like Anthony Joshua and Dua Lipa aren’t British.I have raised this important matter in Parliament today, because there is no place for racism in our politics.I’m proud of Harrow’s diverse, close-knit communities. Every candidate should seek to unite people, not divide them.This matter must be taken seriously. I welcome the Conservative Party’s statement that Mr Jackson’s comments are wholly unacceptable and their decision to suspend him.But serious questions remain about how he was selected as a candidate in the first place, and why he was considered fit to represent our community.https://bylinetimes.com/2026/04/13/conservative-candidate-tells-british-mps-to-go-back-to-pakistan/🎥 👇 | Gareth Thomas MP 
