Talks with India to resume if August 05 actions in occupied Kashmir reversed: PM Imran

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday said talks with India could resume if the neighbouring country reverses its August 05 actions in occupied Kashmir, ARY NEWS reported.

“We have only one issue with India and it is Kashmir and any resumption of trade with them will be a betrayal with Kashmiris,” said the prime minister during a live interaction with the general public on the telephone as he refused to let the blood of Kashmiris who have struggled for self-determination go in vain in exchange of trade ties with India.

He said that they could never think of improving trade ties with India at the cost of Kashmiris.

Economic Woes

Responding to a caller, who wanted answers regarding the economic improvement, the prime minister said that never in the country’s history any government faced difficulties that they encountered at the time of assuming power.

“Other than debts, we had to deal with rising loans,” he said and added that austerity measures had to be adopted to overcome economic woes.

The prime minister, however, expressing hope for a better situation ahead said that no one expected a growth rate of nearly four percent in the outgoing year. “We rose even more than the expectations of our opponents,” he said.

Illegal Housing Societies and Ring Road Project

Responding to illegalities pertaining to housing societies, the prime minister said that a board has been established under the leadership of Justice (retd) Azmat Saeed to look into the housing societies scams.

“Some of the illegal societies will be shut while remaining where housing units have been constructed will be imposed a hefty fine for their illegal acts,” Imran Khan said while announcing to charge owners of illegal housing societies under criminal laws and send them behind bars.

While admitting the significance of the Ring Road project, he said that the project will be completed on its previous alignment rather than the changes which were approved to benefit certain people.

“I have taken notice of a fraud in the alignment of Ring Road project and action will be taken against those responsible,” he said while assuring to complete the project on time.

Water shortage in provinces

The prime minister further said during the interaction with the general public that issues pertaining to water shortage have been witnessed in provinces.

“The telemeters installed to measure water supplies have been not working properly, making it difficult for the authorities to measure water distribution among provinces a difficult task,” he said adding that they are trying to improve the telemeter system.

Imran Khan further said that the government would construct 10 dams in the next 10 years and the work that had to be done in the past 50 years is being carried out by the incumbent government.