Former Indian pacer Irfan Pathan feels that Pakistan PM Imran Khan’s speech at the United National General Assembly showed indications of a potential nuclear war with India. He also added that Imran Khan, being the Prime Minister of Pakistan is also a prominent sports personality, and as such, is expected to promote the message of peace.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan raised the Kashmir issue in his maiden address to the UN General Assembly and demanded that India must lift the "inhuman curfew" in Kashmir and release all "political prisoners".
In his speech that went on for about 50 minutes, far exceeding the 15-minute limit for UN speeches during the General Debate, Khan devoted half of his address to the Kashmir issue, warning that if there's face-off between two nuclear-armed neighbours, the consequences would be far beyond their borders. He used words such as 'bloodbath' and 'fight to the end', which Irfan Pathan said will only increase hatred between the two nations.
His war rhetoric was in sharp contrast to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's peace message from the same podium few minutes earlier in which he said India is a country, that has "given the world, not war, but Buddha's message of peace."
Pakistan has been trying to internationalise the Kashmir issue after India withdrew the special status of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, but New Delhi has asserted the abrogation of Article 370 was its "internal matter".
---Inputs from PTI
