Indo-Pak Relations Won't Get Affected by Imran Khan's Win, Says Congress Leader Shashi Tharoor
'I think it was completely predictable. For the last year also we have been hearing that the military wants a change, they want to get rid of Nawaz Sharif and his party and that they see Imran Khan as the most pliable potential.'
New Delhi, July 26: Speaking on the expected win of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Imran Khan in the recently-concluded 2018 general elections, Congress leader and former Foreign Minister Shashi Tharoor said that the Indo-Pak relations would not witness turbulent times with the former's victory. Talking to ANI, Tharoor said, "We have seen two faces of Imran, one as a hardliner for the electorate and other as liberal which we saw in London and New Delhi. So, it cannot necessarily be turbulent weather for Indo-Pak relations."
He further said, "I think it was completely predictable. For the last year also we have been hearing that the military wants a change, they want to get rid of Nawaz Sharif and his party and that they see Imran Khan as the most pliable potential."
He, however, admitted that Imran Khan would have to depend on other independent candidates and small parties, along with Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal which will follow the instructions from the military.
He said, "Imran is the largest single party but without majority by himself. He'll depend on independents & small parties' support, almost certainly Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) - which will follow military instructions which means if he does things military considers out of line, support can be pulled."
Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party is leading in 117 seats in the 11th general elections of Pakistan, Samaa TV reported citing unofficial results. Voting began at 8 am (local time) on Wednesday, during which most of Pakistan's 106 million people came out to cast their votes. Polling took place in the country's 85,307 polling stations, out of which 17,007 were declared as "highly sensitive."
The Election Commission of Pakistan on Thursday said that results of the general elections were delayed due to a software error. The ECP was also accused of conducting rigged elections due to non-provision of Form 45, a sheet containing the final vote tally at each polling station.