Imran Khan asks India to take a step forward but puts the Kashmir caveat

Imran Khan, the man all set to become the next Prime Minister of Pakistan, asked India to take a step forward following which his country will take two steps to ensure better relationship between the two countries but also raked up the Kashmir issue while addressing the country through a video link from Islamabad's Bani Gala on Thursday.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf supremo, whose party is emerging as the single largest party in Pakistan national Assembly, claimed he is willing to mend the ties with India.

Blaming India of violating human rights in Kashmir, Imran said that whenever armed forces are sent into civilian areas such incidents come to light and the issue cannot have a military solution. He blamed Indian media, too, for projecting him as a "Bollywood villain".

However, Imran started his speech by highlighting his country's close ties with its all-weather friend China, then went on to Afghanistan, USA, Iran and Saudi Arabia before taken India's name.

Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf emerged as the single largest party in the National Assembly today with its candidates winning 76 seats and leading in 43 others according to the latest unofficial results and trends in the parliamentary polls, amid rival political parties' claim of "blatant" rigging.

Jailed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) won 43 seats and was leading in 20 constituencies while Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) led by former president Asif Ali Zardari won 18 seats and its candidates were leading in 19 seats.

A single party will need at least 137 of the directly elected seats to be able to form the government on its own.

Pakistan's National Assembly comprises a total of 342 members, of which 272 are directly elected whereas the rest - 60 seats reserved for women and 10 for religious minorities - are selected later through proportional representation among parties with more than five per cent of the vote.

A party can only form the government if it manages to clinch 172 seats in total.

(With inputs from PTI)