I'll once again extend hand of friendship to India after 2019 elections : Imran Khan
Riyadh/Islamabad, Oct 23: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday said that he would once again extend a hand of friendship to India after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections as he believed New Delhi rebuffed his offer of talks because Pakistan is an issue in the elections in the neighbouring country.
Speaking at the high-profile Future Investment Initiative forum in Riyadh, Khan said Pakistan wants "peace with all our neighbours particularly India and Afghanistan for regional peace and stability."
"Peace with India would help the two countries to divert their resources towards human development instead of indulging in arms race," Khan was quoted as saying by state-run Radio Pakistan.
Similarly, peace in Afghanistan would help Pakistan to have an easy access to the Central Asian states for bilateral economic and trade activities, he said.
Khan said he had extended a hand of friendship to India, which rebuffed the move.
After assuming power in August, Khan wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggesting a meeting between the two countries' foreign ministers on the margins of the UN General Assembly in September.
India accepted the proposal but, within hours of its acceptance, terrorists killed three policemen in Jammu and Kashmir, prompting New Delhi to cancel the foreign ministers' meeting on the sidelines of the UNGA.
"He (Khan) attributed this (cancellation) to anti-Pakistan rhetoric raking in votes in India," the Express Tribune newspaper reported, citing the prime minister.
Prime Minister Khan said he would try once again following the conclusion of the general elections in India.
The general elections are due to be held in India next year.
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.
In his victory speech after the July elections, Khan expressed his willingness to improve Pakistan's ties with India and said that his government would like the leaders of the two sides to resolve all disputes, including the core issue of Kashmir, through talks.
Speaking at the summit, which is the brainchild of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to attract foreign investment into the kingdom, Khan said that his government is approaching the IMF and the friendly countries to seek loans to plug the financial gap.
The three-day summit, nicknamed "Davos in the desert", has been overshadowed by raging global outrage over the murder of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2.
Several investors and international figureheads have cancelled their plans to attend the summit in an apparent protest against the killing of Khashoggi.
International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde and US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin have also pulled out.
Khan, who attended the summit, is visiting close ally Saudi Arabia for the second time since assuming power in August.
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Beauty of democracy: Tharoor congratulates BJP on civic body poll win in his constituency
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Saturday, while lauding the win of the UDF in Kerala local bodies elections, also congratulated the BJP for its historic performance in his Thiruvananthapuram constituency, calling it the "beauty of democracy".
In a post on X, he said the people's verdict must be respected, whether for the UDF overall or for the BJP in his constituency.
"What a day of amazing results in the Kerala local self-government elections! The mandate is clear, and the democratic spirit of the state shines through.
"A huge congratulations to @UDFKerala for a truly impressive win across various local bodies! This is a massive endorsement and a powerful signal ahead of the state legislative elections. Hard work, a strong message and anti-incumbency have all clearly paid off to achieve a much better result than in 2020," Tharoor said.
He said he also acknowledges the historic performance of the BJP in Thiruvananthapuram, and "offer humble congratulations on their significant victory in the city corporation - a strong showing that marks a notable shift in the capital's political landscape."
Tharoor said he campaigned for a change from 45 years of the LDF "misrule", but the voters have ultimately rewarded another party that also sought a clear change in governance.
"That is the beauty of democracy. The people's verdict must be respected, whether for the UDF overall or for the BJP in my constituency.
"We will continue to work for the betterment of Kerala, advocating for the people's needs and upholding the principles of good governance. Onwards and upwards!" Tharoor, who is the MP from Thiruvananthapuram, said.
The lotus bloomed in the state capital as the BJP-led NDA achieved a resounding win in the polls for the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, snatching it from the CPI(M)-led LDF and marking an end to 45 years of continuous Left rule in the local body.
The win in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation will act as a boost for the BJP in the 2026 Assembly polls, especially in the state capital.
Of the 101 wards in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, the BJP won 50, LDF 29, UDF 19 and two wards were won by independent candidates.
The BJP is one seat short of a decisive majority in the corporation.
Besides this, the NDA retained the Palakkad municipality after a close battle with the Congress-led UDF and wrested the Thrippunithura Municipality from the grand old party.
In Thrissur, from where Suresh Gopi won in the Lok Sabha polls last year, the BJP won 18 out of the 46 wards in Kodungallur Municipality, eight in Thrissur Corporation, two each in Guruvayoor and Vadakkancherry municipalities, seven in Kunnamkulam Municipality, six in Irinjalakuda Municipality and one in Chalakudy Municipality.
