PM fears conflict risk while India in election mode: FT

27 Mar, 2019

Prime Minister Imran Khan said he feared another security incident with India. In an interview with the Financial Times on Tuesday, Khan said tensions were still high even after the crisis over a militant attack in the disputed region of Kashmir had eased with the release of an Indian pilot captured by Pakistani forces. "I'm still apprehensive before the elections, I feel that something could happen," Khan told the newspaper.
Khan has offered to hold talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the issue. "When Pulwama happened I felt that Mr Modi's government used that to build this war hysteria," Khan told the Financial Times. "The Indian public should realise that this is all for winning the elections, it's nothing to do with the real issues of the subcontinent."
He repeated a denial that Pakistan was involved in the Pulwama attack and said a crackdown had been launched against militant groups.
Although the immediate crisis has eased, parts of Pakistani airspace continue to be closed to overflights, causing severe disruption to several international airline operations.
A spokesman for Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority said major airports had been re-opened and most commercial flights resumed after Pakistani airspace was closed during the height of the standoff but some areas were still closed.
"Part of the airspace is still closed for overflying - it's partially open and partially closed. All major airports are open but a small part of the airpace is still closed," the spokesman said, declining to elaborate.

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