Imran Khan too says, ‘Talks are better than no talks, but Kashmir issue needs to be first resolved

ISLAMABAD - Former cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan on Friday said till Kashmir issue was resolved India and Pakistan are likely to keep going around the same things again and again.

During an interview with ANI, Khan was asked if he sees any future for India-Pakistan relations to get any closer than what it is right now as Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram’s has arrived in Islamabad for the first round of Home Ministerial level talks, he said: “Well talks is a beginning. It’s better than not talking. Also what I read that terrorism would be delinked from the talks; that is even a better beginning. But I am optimistic about the success of the talk, but a lot depends on how the governments (of India and Pakistan) can resolve the issue of Kashmir”, Imran Khan said.

Speaking further, Imran Khan said: “Because, unfortunately, as long as Kashmir is live as we saw in the Mumbai incident, anything like that could flare up. Any incident could set us back to square one as it happened after all the Confidence Building Measures (CBMs). One incident and certainly the two countries are back from this, in face (they) went further back.”

Imran opined that even as India and Pakistan talking to each other feels good, precious little might be achieved till the ‘main issue’ between the two neighbours could be resolved.

“So unless the core issues are addressed, talking is good because that’s better than not talking, as I said before, but unless the talks discuss and resolve the core issues and Kashmir is the really core issue, the one core issue, I am afraid we will keep going round in circles.” By Smita Prakash(ANI)