Will Be Happy to Meet PM Modi, Ready for Talks: Pak PM Imran Khan

“There can’t be a military solution for Kashmir,” Imran Khan had said a day after the Kartarpur Corridor ceremony.

Combination image of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan (left) and PM Narendra Modi. 

(Photo: PTI/Altered by The Quint)

A day after the Kartarpur Corridor ceremony, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Thursday, 29 November, that he will be happy to meet his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.

"I will be happy to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and talk to him," Khan said.

“We are willing to wait for (general) elections to get over in India for a gesture from New Delhi. Let us talk.”

Imran Khan, Pakistan Prime Minister

Khan asserted that the mindset of the people in Pakistan had changed and that they want peace with India.

On Terrorism and Kashmir

In an apparent reference to India’s stand that terrorism and bilateral talks cannot go together, Khan said:

“It is not in our interest to allow use of Pakistan’s territory for terror outside.”

Imran Khan, as quoted by PTI

Khan made the comments during an interaction with a group of Indian journalists in Islamabad, reported PTI.

India has repeatedly demanded that Pakistan take effective and credible action to stop providing shelter and support to cross-border terrorism from areas under its control.

When asked if it is possible to resolve the Kashmir issue, the Pakistan Prime Minister said, "Nothing is impossible."

"I am ready for talks on any issue. There can't be a military solution for Kashmir," he said.

However, he pointed out that the gesture for peace cannot be one-sided.

On punishing Mumbai attack mastermind and Jamaat-ud Dawah (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed, who has a 10 million dollar US bounty on his name, Khan said, "There are UN sanctions against Hafiz Saeed. There is already a clampdown on him."

‘Majority of Indians Will Appreciate Kartarpur Corridor’

The Pakistan PM said on Thursday that he was sure that a majority of Indians would appreciate the steps taken by the two countries in building the Kartarpur Corridor.

"The India I know – the majority must be appreciating it (Kartarpur corridor)," Khan said.

At the ceremony to lay the foundation stone of the Kartarpur Corridor on Wednesday, 28 November, Khan had said that all outstanding issues between India and Pakistan could be resolved by decisive leaderships on both sides.

"Our political leaders, our army are on one page. We want a civilised relationship with India," Khan had said.