Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday said relations with India will continue to be tense till the Lok Sabha elections are over, reported Dawn. He said Narendra Modi was trying to cash in on anti-Pakistan narrative during his election campaign.
Khan added that he feared “another misadventure” by India. “The danger is not over,” said Khan, according to Dawn. “The situation will remain tense till forthcoming General Elections in India. We are already prepared to avert any aggression from India.”
The Indian Air Force had conducted air strikes on Balakot in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on February 26, targeting a Jaish-e-Mohammad camp. The strikes were a response to a suicide bomb attack on February 14, in which 40 Central Reserve Police Force jawans were killed in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir. The Jaish extremist outfit had claimed responsibility for the attack.
In response, Pakistani F-16 jets violated the Line of Control on February 27, and engaged in combat with Indian aircraft. The Pakistani jets shot down a MiG-21 Bison plane and captured a pilot, Abhinandan Varthaman, who was later returned to India. India had said it had shot down a Pakistani F-16, which landed in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Hope dialogue starts after May 23: Omar Abdullah
After reports claimed Pakistan has decided to open the Sharda Peeth corridor to pilgrims, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said he hoped the new dispensation at the Centre will reciprocate similar steps and that the two neighbouring countries will soon resume dialogue.
“One can only hope that in a post May 23rd India these steps will be reciprocated by the central government & we can move towards resuming the comprehensive dialogue between India & Pakistan,” Abdullah tweeted. Votes for the General Elections will be counted on May 23.
Abdullah said he now expects the Pakistan government to open the Kargil-Skardu road. “It’s good to see @ImranKhanPTI take decisions that have been held up for years. Allowing greater people to people contact & opening routes to religious pilgrims are always welcome developments that help to ease tensions,” he added.
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