Imran Khan for negotiated settlement of Afghanistan conflict

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<span style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: times new roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" class="Apple-style-span"> LONDON, July 13 (APP)- Ruling out a military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan, Chairman, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Imran Khan has called for negotiated settlement through the formation of a consensus government in the land-locked south west Asian country. Speaking at the Foreign Press Association on Monday, the cricketer-turned-politician said the situation was heavily impacting Pakistan which is paying a huge price in terms of human losses and material damage as a ???blow back??? to the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan and the fighting in the tribal region, Swat and Malakand division. He narrated the history of the tribal region and said there was a need to differentiate between the situation in Swat and FATA.  Swat,he said was a settled area where the people demanded a Justice system which prevailed in the former princely State before it became a part of Pakistan in 1969 as the present legal system has failed to deliver justice to the people. The PTI Chief said the fighting in FATA has spilled over from Afghanistan where USA and  NATO forces are engaged with Taliban and elements of Al-Qaeda. Khan said no Taliban existed in Pakistan  prior to 9/11 and it only when US decided to first bomb Afghanistan and later went into that country that the resistance began. He said history has shown that Pashtuns living across the Durand Line have taken up arms against the invading forces and they see the current NATO and ISAF forces as invaders. The PTI Chairman argued in favour of peace and said unless situation returns to normalcy no development could take place either in Afghanistan or in the tribal regions of Pakistan. He urged Pakistan Government to formulate a policy to end the crisis in the tribal areas, saying that situation in the FATA was impeding progress and development. Khan said people have supported military action in Swat because the extremists and religious militants attempted to introduce a repressive brand of Islam. Responding to a question , he said the West face danger from Al-Qaeda but not from Taliban whom he described as religious fundamentalists whose knowledge does not go beyond their respective areas. Imran also spoke about his visit to US and discussion held with the members of the US think tank and Senator John Kerry and he was of the view that American leaders are not entirely in complete picture about the ground realities in Afghanistan. He said the Americans he met held the same view of a negotiated settlement of the Afghan conflict and more troops surge will lead to greater casualities and collateral damage. He called for an exit strategy from Afghanistan and said both the UK and the US need to learn lessons from the history and of Pushtoon resistance to the foreign occupiers. Khan said even the UK special envoy on Pakistan and Afghanistan Sir Sherard Cowper-Cooper has spoken of settling the issue through dialogues instead of guns and bullets. The PTI Chairman also claimed that three previous peace accords in FATA were scuttled under pressure from the US Government whose drone attacks in tribal areas has turned the public opinion in Pakistan against America.

Imran Khan for negotiated settlement of Afghanistan conflict

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Imran Khan for negotiated settlement of Afghanistan conflict

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