Islamabad - Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday said his controversial tweet about "small men occupying big offices" did not refer to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He, however, did not specify who it referred to.
The cricketer-turned-politician had lashed out after India cancelled a meeting between the foreign ministers of the two nations - scheduled to be held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September - after yet another terror attack.
"Disappointed at the arrogant & negative response by India to my call for resumption of the peace dialogue. However, all my life I have come across small men occupying big offices who do not have the vision to see the larger picture," Mr Khan's tweet read.
Responding to a question while talking to a group of Indian journalists, Imran Khan assured that he will look into the case of a 33-year-old Indian prisoner, who has been languishing in a Pakistani jail after being arrested for illegally entering the country from Afghanistan, reportedly to meet a girl he had befriended online.
Mumbai resident Hamid Nehal Ansari was arrested in Pakistan in 2012. He is currently lodged in Peshawar Central Prison after being sentenced by a military court to three years’ imprisonment for possessing a fake Pakistani identity card.
“I do not know about it... We will do our best,” Khan told a group of Indian journalists when asked about Ansari.
To another question, Imran said it is not in Pakistan's interest for its territory to be used for terrorism. He said that it would be wrong to hold him responsible for things that have happened in the past (between Pakistan and India). "I can't be held responsible for the past. Hold me to account if I break my promises," he said.
Imran said it is not in Pakistan's national interest to allow our territory to be used for terror outside, adding that there is already a legal case against Hafiz Saeed in Pakistan.
When asked if Pakistan was willing to make a "grand gesture" on taking action against Hafiz Saeed or gangster Dawood Ibrahim, Khan said that gestures can be one-sided "only up to a point".
"India must reciprocate...we understand till your elections in six months but after that, we need a response," Khan said, referring to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
INDIAN ARMY CHIEF THREATENS DRONE STRIKES ON PAKISTAN
Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat reciprocated to Pakistan’s peace initiative of opening Kartarpur with hollow claims of launching drone strikes at Kashmiris and Pakistan.
General Bipin Rawat threatened on Thursday that Kashmiris should stay ready to bear harms caused by Indian drone attacks, adding the strikes may go even beyond the Line of Control (LoC) towards Pakistan.
In an interview with an Indian media outlet, General Bipin made another threatening remark in the month of September, saying “as soon as we get our government’s approval, we will start the war.”
Throughout the entire interview, India’s military head gave confusing statements, reflecting his vague thought process, where on one hand he said to be waiting for government’s permission to start a war, and on the other, the general claimed to have already been given a ‘task of war’.
