Pakistan ready to improve ties with India, says Imran Khan

Islamabad: Pakistan is ready to improve its ties with India, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan said on Thursday, asserting that the blame game between the two neighbours, detrimental to the sub-continent, should stop.

"If they take one step towards us, we will take two, but at least (we) need a start," 65-year-old Khan said on Thursday in his first public address after leading his party to victory in the general elections held on Wednesday.

His party emerged as the single largest party in the National Assembly elections, amid rival political parties' claim of "blatant" rigging in the counting.

Though Khan's PTI has established a considerable lead, it is still short of the majority mark of 137 and may have to look for allies among the smaller parties and independents. The party's supporters have already hit the streets to celebrate the single largest party status.

Khan said Kashmir is the "core" issue between the two countries and it should be resolved through talks.

"I am a person who arguably knows the most people in India because of my days in cricket. We can resolve the poverty crisis in South East Asia. The biggest problem is Kashmir," he said, suggesting that the two sides should come to the table to resolve it.

"We want to improve our relations with India if their leadership also wants it. This blame game that whatever goes wrong in Pakistan's Balochistan is because of India and vice versa brings us back to square one," he said.

"This is not how we will grow, and it is detrimental to the sub-continent," he added.

He said good India-Pakistan relations would be beneficial for the entire region and suggested to increase trade ties between the two neighbours. The ties between the two countries had strained after the terror attacks by Pakistan-based groups in 2016 and India's surgical strikes inside Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The sentencing of alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav to death by a military court in April last year further deteriorated bilateral ties.

The two sides often accuse each other of ceasefire violations along the Line of Control, resulting in civilian casualties.

Khan also said that he was very disappointed with the Indian media which had projected him like a "Bollywood villain" in recent weeks.

On ties with the US, he said Pakistan wants balanced relations with America which should be mutually beneficial, not one-sided.

Additionally, Khan said he and his party wanted stronger ties with both Iran and Saudi Arabia.

"We will strengthen our relations with China. They have provided us with an opportunity by investing in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor," he said.

Pakistan can learn from China, which has effectively tackled corruption and also improved people's lives, he said.