Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that the United States had used Pakistan only when Washington needed and then left it alone, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Imran Khan said the US had failed in Afghanistan and it blamed Pakistan for the Afghan situation.

In an interview with Director of the Advisory Committee of China Institute of Fudan University Dr Eric Li, the prime minister invited other countries to join and invest in China Pakistan Economic Corridor project, emphasizing the government's foremost priority is geo-economics and to uplift the economy. “Raising suspicion on the corridor project makes no sense,” he declared.

He said Pakistan sees CPEC and Gwadar project as a great opportunity for its geo-economics, adding his priority is the people of Pakistan and lifting the people out of poverty while taking a cue from China. 

Imran Khan said both Pakistan and China have always stood by each other in difficult times. He said this all-weather relationship has transformed into a people-to-people friendship.

When asked about the Western concerns on the situation in Chinese province Xinjiang, Imran Khan said Pakistani ambassador in China had visited the area and the report he gave was different from the one that was coming on the Western media. He said what was being told by the Western media did not exist against Uighurs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5Nd7wWqx6g

Imran Khan said according to the envoy's report unprecedented development was taking place in Xinjiang.

Imran Khan said joining the war on terror and the corruption of the past badly affected Pakistan. He said Pakistan lost about 80,000 people and over 100 billion dollars in the US war on terror.

Responding to a question, the prime minister said Kashmir is a disputed territory between Pakistan and India. He said India unfortunately is denying the right of self-determination to Kashmiri people guaranteed by the UN Security Council resolutions.

Alluding to the marginalization of minorities including Muslims in India, he said this is the tragedy that has happened with India under the current regime. He said better sense should prevail in India otherwise it is only going to damage itself.

When asked about China-US relations, Imran Khan said the world does not want another cold war. He said Pakistan may replicate the role it played in 1970s when it brought China and the US together.

About Afghanistan, he said the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Afghanistan should be avoided. He warned that sanctioning the new Afghan setup will only descend Afghanistan into chaos and a weak setup will not be able to take on the international terrorists.

Imran Khan said that Americans have not read the history of Afghanistan because people who are familiar with the history of Afghans would not have done what America did.

The premier added that America’s intentions in Afghanistan were not clear as their mission should have ended after Osama bin Laden was killed. “If the objectives are not clear then they are destined to fail.”

Imran Khan said he opposed a military solution of Afghanistan from day one as Afghans have never accepted foreign rulers.

To another query, Imran Khan said that our manifesto is to establish rule of law and welfare state in the country and his decision to enter politics was to save the country from corrupt rulers as corruption makes the country poor.

He said a country that does not bring the powerful to justice will become a failed state. “My party’s manifesto is the rule of law and the establishment of a welfare state,” he reiterated.