'Never Felt More Insulted As Pakistani..': Imran Khan On Pak Joining US War On Terror; Speaks On Kashmir Too

Iman Khan asserted that Pakistan could be partners with the United States in peace, but not in conflict.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. (File Photo)

New Delhi: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday addressed the National Assembly of the country where he spoke on wide-range of issues including relationship with United States and India. 

While addressing the assembly, Khan asserted that Pakistan could be partners with the United States in peace, but not in conflict. He even criticised policies made by previous governments which he said has led to Pakistan joining the US war on terror in Afghanistan.

Khan even said that as a Pakistani, he had never felt more 'insulted' than when Pakistan decided to join America's war on terror in Afghanistan. 

The Pakistan premier further drew a clear line for future cooperation with the US, which he said would be based on cooperation unlike the Pakistan-US partnership in the war on terror after 9/11 that resulted in severe blowback in Pakistan.

"When we gave so many services, did they (the US) praise us or acknowledge our sacrifices? Instead, they called us a hypocrite and blamed us. Instead of appreciating us, Pakistan was bad-mouthed," he said.

"What they (US) said, we kept doing," the prime minister said, hitting out at former PM Pervez Musharraf saying that the former military dictator has admitted in his book 'In the Line of Fire: A Memoir' that he took money and sent "our own" people to Guantanamo Bay.

"Does any country get involved in another's war and lose 70,000 lives?" he asked.

Imran Khan On India

Once again lamenting about India's decision to abrogate Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir, Khan reiterated that Pakistan would not restore diplomatic ties with India until New Delhi revokes its decision of scrapping the special status of the valley.

"I want to make it clear that diplomatic relations will not be restored with India until it rescinds the illegal steps of 5th August 2019," Khan said while addressing the National Assembly.

While Pakistan had downgraded ties with India and suspended trade, India has maintained that the issue related to Article 370 of the Indian Constitution was entirely an internal matter of the country.