Imran Khan pokes India on Kashmir issue; says army will fail

Lahore, Oct 31: With anti-India rhetoric the order of the day for most Pakistan politicians, the latest to join the bandwagon is cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan. Speaking at a massive rally in Lahore organised to leverage his fledgling party, the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf he spoke of the rights of Kashmiris and sought the withdrawal of Indian troops from the strife-prone regions of Jammu and Kashmir.

The rally was attended by over 100,000 people was intended to project Imran Khan as a serious contender in the 2013 general election. The party was campaigning vigorously in Punjab, which is the country's most populous province.

In order to galvanize people, Khan brought up various issues like corruption in the system and power crisis in the country. He also spoke about the burning Kashmir issue and said, "I want to tell Hindustan that the 700,000 troops you have kept among the Kashmiris. No army has been able to solve any country's problems at any time. Did the Americans succeed in Afghanistan? Is the Indian Army more powerful than the US Army? When the Americans couldn't succeed, how can you succeed with 700,000 troops that are involved in excesses?"

In an effort to incite the public further after the election debacle in the previous polls, Khan commented that India give "Kashmiris their rights and call back the troops". He added that his party would "stand with the Kashmiri brothers and speak for their rights at all forums".

He also called the rally, a part of a movement that began 15 years ago by the Pakistan Tehrik to look into the country's problems that encompassed corruption, inflation, rising prices, lack of education, unemployment and an energy crisis.

OneIndia News