Pakistan ready for talks, let's act wisely, says Imran Khan
What's the story
Speaking on Pakistan's "actions" across the border on Wednesday, Imran Khan said armed forces acted to send a strong message to India that they are capable of defending the nation. He called for peace between the two nuclear nations and said India and Pakistan shouldn't underestimate their weaponry. Earlier, Pakistan claimed it has "captured" two Indian pilots and shot down jets. Here's more.
Context
Backstory: India says one pilot is missing in action
Three Pakistani aircraft tried to violate Indian airspace earlier in the day but were forced to return after facing retaliation from India. In a press briefing a short while ago, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar revealed India lost one MiG 21 in the engagement and one pilot is missing in action. "Pakistan claims he is in their custody. We are ascertaining the facts," said Kumar.
Address
Khan repeats his Army's claim that pilots are "captured"
Reiterating what Pakistan Army claimed, Khan said, "When India stuck yesterday morning, we spoke to our army command and waited to take action till we assessed the damage caused." The cricketer-turned-politician added that he wanted to take Pakistan into confidence "over the developments since yesterday morning". He said India was offered peace after Pulwama and the offer is still on the table.
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We are ready for probe: Khan
"We understand grief that you have suffered in Pulwama and are ready for a probe and dialogue. We wanted to cooperate and were ready to do so. I feared that India would still take action, and I had, therefore, warned India against aggression," Khan said.
Peace
Khan says no one knows how wars will end
Khan allocated a long time in his address talking about peace and stressed it was important to act wisely. He said World War I was supposed to end in weeks but dragged on for six years. "Similarly, the war on terrorism was not supposed to last 17 years," he said. Khan claimed he understood the pain of families who lost loved ones to violence.
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Can we afford a miscalculation, Khan asks India
"I ask India: with the weapons you have and the weapons we have, can we really afford a miscalculation? If this escalates, it will no longer be in my control or in (Narendra) Modi's. Let's sit together and settle this with talks," he concluded.