Imran Khan's tenure strained Pak-India ties: Indian journalist

The strained ties between Pakistan and India intensified during Imran Khan's tenure as Prime Minister, claimed an Indian journalist.

The remarks from the Indian media person came after Indian Foreign Minister Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar thanked Pakistan for hosting him during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Islamabad.

“Soaring relationships during Imran Khan's government have gone on its peak,” Geeta Mohan said in an interview with senior journalist Hamid Mir.

She said the war of words between Pakistan and India was seen during the visit of the then foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in New Delhi.

“Sharif family’s efforts have played a great role in normalising ties between India and Pakistan,” she said while expressing wonder about Jaishankar’s presence in Islamabad instead of virtual attendance for the SCO meeting.

Geeta believed that the discussion did not stop with a formal chat, in-fact it seems like the talk went beyond the SCO meeting.

She admitted India did not change its diplomatic policy regarding Pakistan but the relationships between neighbouring countries are expected to improve during the Sharif family's rule.

However, it was the first visit of any Indian foreign minister that materialised after a decade.

"We have seen a cordial atmosphere not only during his [Jaishankar] entire visit but good communication between two leaderships was also noted,” she added.

Apart from this, Indian FM Jaishankar shared his sentiments while departing from Pakistan, stating, “Thank you PM Shehbaz Sharif, FM Ishaq Dar and the Government of Pakistan for the hospitality and courtesies.”

Moreover, addressing the SCO summit, the Indian FM congratulated Pakistan for hosting a successful moot.