Pakistan: Former Army Chief Gen Bajwa Pressured Me To Restore Ties With India, Says Imran Khan

Relations between India and Pakistan have often been strained over Kashmir issue and cross-border terrorism. However, their ties worsened after India abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution.

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan

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New Delhi: Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan said he was forced by the country’s retired Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa to develop friendly ties with India in order to maintain a cordial relation, news agency PTI reported.

During an interaction with social media journalists at his Zaman Park residence in Lahore on Saturday, the 70-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief said, “Gen Bajwa wanted me to develop friendly ties with India. He put pressure on me for this and it was one of the reasons our relationship deteriorated.”

This comes in the light of Pakistan denying of having any backchannel talks with New Delhi.

"At this stage, there is no backchannel between Pakistan and India," foreign office spokesman Mumtaz Zahra Baloch had earlier said at a media briefing.

Notably, relations between India and Pakistan have often been strained over Kashmir issue and cross-border terrorism. However, their ties worsened after India abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution, revoking the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcating the state into two Union Territories on August 5, 2019.

India has repeatedly told Pakistan of its desire to have normal neighbourly relations with Islamabad in an environment free of terror, hostility and violence. However, Khan reiterated his stance that Pakistan should not hold any peace talk with India till New Delhi restores the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

Imran Khan further said Gen (retd.) Bajwa did to Pakistan what even an enemy couldn't do. "Bajwa should be held accountable by the army," he added.

It is to be noted that the former PM had earlier alleged Bajwa of “wanting to kill him”, and they have been at loggerheads ever since Khan’s ouster from power in April last year by a no-confidence motion.

Gen (retd) Bajwa retired on November 29 last year after two consecutive three-year terms.