Thaindian News

London, July 24 (ANI): Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan has termed Pakistan as the ‘biggest collateral damage’ of the US-led Afghan war, and said the Pakistan Army is fighting against its own countrymen.

Talking to journalists at a Meet-the-Press event here, Khan said governance in Pakistan has collapsed completely and foreign investment has suffered a severe set back due to the ‘war on terror’.

“Pakistan is the biggest collateral damage of the ongoing Afghan war, and because of this war we are at war with our own people, our citizens are dying, our soldiers are dying, governance has collapsed,” The Dawn quoted Khan, as saying.

He lambasted the US for continuing the Afghan war in which, according to him, America would never succeed.

“It is now dawning even on the Americans that they could not win this war, and with the recession biting ever harder the US and the West are finding it increasingly difficult to sustain this war,” the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf chief said.

When enquired about the Kashmir issue, Khan said Islamabad should first look to address the internal threats that were challenging the country’s existence.

“We are today in the grip of horrendous problems which are threatening our very existence. We must first clear the problem-filled deck and then take up the Kashmir issue which in essence meant giving the Kashmiris their rights,” he said.

Responding to a question, Khan said the forthcoming elections in Afghanistan would not change the scenario there.

“Elections in Afghanistan would not make of any difference, because Karzai will win it and he would then continue to rule in the same inept way that he has been doing over the last five years,” he added.

Khan opined that the military combat against the Taliban and Al-Qaeda would serve no purpose and stressed on the need of negotiations with the extremists.

He also criticized the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for accusing Pakistan of being involved in the 9/11. (ANI)