'Pakistan willing to give up nuclear weapons if India does', Imran Khan tells US media

In an interview to Fox News, Imran Khan said that he has sought the mediation of the United States to resolve conflict with India which aggravated in February and has asked Trump to play his role in mediation.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan (File Image: Thomas Peter/AP)

New Delhi: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said that his country would give up its nuclear weapons, if India also did the same, during his maiden trip to the United States. After meeting the American President Donald Trump on Monday, Khan was asked how Pakistan would respond if India said it was giving up its nuclear weapons, in an interview with Fox News. "Nuclear war is not an option between Pakistan and India. The idea of nuclear war is actually self-destruction," he replied. Khan added that he has sought the mediation of the United States to resolve conflict with India which aggravated in February post Pulwama attack, and has asked Trump to play his role in mediation. Speaking on the recent tensions between the two South Asian neighbours in February, Prime Minister Imran Khan said he had asked President Trump to play his role and mediate between the two countries. "The US is the most powerful country in the world, the only country which could mediate between Pakistan and India and resolve the only issue which is Kashmir. The only reason for 70 years we have not been able to live like civilised neighbours is Kashmir," he could be heard saying in the interview to Fox News. "I really feel that India should come on the table, US could play a big part, and President Trump can certainly play a big part,” he added. Ties between India and Pakistan hit all time low after the Pulwama Attack in Kashmir carried out by Pakistan based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed and the aftermath that followed. On Monday, during talks with the Pakistani PM, US President Donald Trump claimed that Prime Minister Modi, during the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, sought his help in resolving the Kashmir issue. "I was with Prime Minister Modi two weeks ago and we talked about this subject (Kashmir). And he actually said, 'would you like to be a mediator or arbitrator?' I said, 'where?' (Modi said) 'Kashmir'," Trump said during his talks with Khan, their first since the latter came to power in August, 2018. "Because this has been going on for many, many years. I am surprised that how long. It has been going on (for long)," he said, with Khan responding 70 years. India’s Foreign Ministry has strongly denied the claims made by Trump. (With inputs from PTI)