Mufti, Omar take a jibe at Modi supporters over Pak PM's remarks

Congress, PDP and National Conference on Wednesday took a swipe at BJP after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan remarked that if his counterpart Narendra Modi wins the Lok Sabha polls, some kind of settlement on Kashmir could be reached. At a press conference here, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, "It seems that Pakistan has now officially allied with Prime Minister Narendra Modi."

He said, "Imran Khan seems to wish for his friend Modi's success. We all saw PM Narendra Modi's love for Nawaz Sharif and ISI when he went uninvited to Pakistan and then invited ISI to India....it seems that love affair with Imran Khan now continues." "Imran Khan and Pakistan will never succeed because Modi is going to lose the Lok Sabha elections," Surjewala said.

"The Pakistan Prime Minister and ISI want that Modi should continue in India where internal strife continues to blow and the atmosphere of hatred and division gets perpetuated by the actions of the powers that are...where peace is a casualty, where directly or indirectly, a force inimical to India continues to get space," he added. The Congress spokesperson said, "Khan's diabolical design and wish will never come true and we will defeat every force that perpetuates and propagates hatred and divisions in this country."

Taking to Twitter, president of Peoples Democratic Party, Mehbooba Mufti, said, "Bhakts scratching their heads & at wit ends wondering if they should praise Imran Khan or not." Attacking PM Modi, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said, "So much for Modi Sahib telling the country only Pakistan & its sympathisers want BJP to lose. Imran Khan has just endorsed him for a 2nd term."

In another tweet, the National Conference leader said, "Just imagine what all the "Chowkidar" handles would be doing to @RahulGandhi & the Congress right now if Imran Khan had endorsed RG as PM in these elections? Who is the "tukde tukde" gang now?" According to local media reports, Prime Minister Khan on Tuesday said there might be a better chance of peace talks with India if PM Modi wins the upcoming elections,

He reportedly said that if Congress comes to power in India, it might be too scared to seek a settlement with Pakistan over Kashmir, fearing a backlash from the right wing. "Perhaps if the BJP - a right-wing party -- wins, some kind of settlement on Kashmir could be reached," the Pakistani leader was quoted as saying.

His remarks have come when India is gearing up for the seven--phase general elections due to begin tomorrow. Imran Khan also claimed that Prime Minister Modi, like Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, was electioneering based on "fear and nationalist feeling".

BJP's pledge, as per the election manifesto released this week, proposing to strip decades-old special rights from the people of Jammu and Kashmir that prevents outsiders from buying property in the state, was a major concern, , he said, adding it could also have been made keeping in view of the elections. Prime Minister Khan reiterated his stance on terrorism and said that Islamabad was determined to dismantle all militant groups in the country and that the government had full support of the army for the same.

He noted that it is vital for his country to have peaceful ties with its neighbours - Afghanistan, India and Iran - if it was to have an economy needed to pull 100 million people out of poverty. Tension between India and Pakistan escalated after a suicide attack killed 40 CRPF soldiers in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir on February 14. Pakistan-based Jaish e-Mohammad (JeM) claimed responsibility for the attack. (ANI)

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