Addressing the Pakistan-Saudi Investment Forum in the Saudi capital Riyadh, Khan said that India and Pakistan have only one issue in common – the Kashmir issue and urged them to resolve it like civilized neighbours, Dawn Online reported.
He said, “We have very good relations with China, but if we somehow improve our relations with India – I know that after beating the Pakistan team in a cricket match last night, there is a need to improve relations with India. It’s not a great time to talk about it,” he said. .
His remarks came a day after Pakistan defeated India for the first time in the World Cup in Dubai.
Khan said the two countries have only one issue – Kashmir, and urged them to resolve it like “civilized” neighbours.
“It is about human rights and the rights of the people of Kashmir to self-determination as guaranteed by UN Security Council 72 years ago.
“If they are given this right, we have no other problem. The two countries can live as civilized neighbors […] Just imagine the potential,” he told Saudi businessmen.
He said that India would gain access to Central Asia through Pakistan and in return access to two big markets.
“I want to impress upon the Saudi business community that conditions are never the same. They are always changing,” Khan, who is on a three-day visit to Saudi Arabia at the invitation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, said.
Relations between India and Pakistan had soured after the 2016 terror attack on the Pathankot Air Force Base by terror groups based in the neighboring country. Subsequent attacks, including an attack on an Indian Army camp in Uri, further soured the relationship.
Ties further strained after India’s war planes deepened a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist training camp inside Pakistan in response to the February 26, 2019 Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed.
Relations deteriorated in August 2019 after India announced the withdrawal of special powers to Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcation of the state into two union territories.
India has told Pakistan that it wants normal neighborly relations with Islamabad in an environment free from terror, hostility and violence.
Recently, when Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla was asked about the possibility of improving India’s relations with Pakistan, he said that unless the core core issue of terrorism emanating from the neighboring country is dealt with, “I think we won’t see much forward momentum in the India relationship.”
Highlighting Pakistan’s strategic position, Prime Minister Khan said Saudi businessmen could benefit from the country’s offer.
He mentioned the Ravi Riverfront Urban Development Project and the Central Business District project near Lahore and called upon investors to invest in them.
He also mentioned another project with 300,000 acres of fertile land along the Indus river. He said that water is available, but a canal is needed to water the land. “We just need energy to lift that water into the canal and the whole area becomes cultivable.”
He said that this project has immense opportunities for both the countries.
Earlier, Khan had said that Pak-Saudi ties are beyond all else and that if Riyadh faces a security threat, Pakistan will stand with the Gulf kingdom to protect its security.
The event was attended by a large number of Saudi investors and businessmen, prominent Pakistani business leaders, investors from the Pakistani expatriate and stakeholders from Pakistan’s private sector, the statement said.
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