NEW DELHI, 9 November 2004 — Pakistani-cricketer turned politician Imran Khan yesterday met the Indian lady whom he admires “a lot,” — that is UPA chairperson and Congress party President Sonia Gandhi.
Imran had expressed his admiration for Sonia last week at the Hindustan Times Leadership Initiative Conference. When he was asked to name one woman in India he would like to go on a blind date with, Imran declined to answer saying that he had just come out of a nine-year marriage.
When asked to name a lady he admired, Imran replied without hesitation: “Well… I have got to say that Mrs. Sonia Gandhi.”
Sonia’s “political gesture” — of not becoming the prime minister — has won her admirers in Pakistan too. Imran said: “Her gesture…that someone would have the opportunity of becoming prime minister and refuse… and sit back and allow someone else to become prime minister — something which is not in the psyche of the subcontinent, so I admire that a lot.”
During a 30-minute meeting with Sonia yesterday, Imran told her of Pakistanis’ desire for continuing the Indo-Pak peace process. Later, Imran told reporters: “It was an excellent meeting and I asked her about the peace process.” Sonia, he said, told him: “We are committed to take the peace process forward.”
Imran said that Sonia would be visiting Pakistan “very soon.”
Sonia is expected to visit Pakistan in the coming month “as a goodwill gesture for the advancement of the (Indo-Pak) peace process,” sources said. She has reportedly accepted a formal invitation extended by Islamabad to visit Pakistan.
When Imran was questioned on the Kashmir-irritant in Indo-Pak ties and the stand taken by Hurriyat leaders regarding the peace process, he replied: “We did not go into details.” Imran, however, expressed that a solution to the Kashmir issue is possible with the involvement of people of Pakistan, India and Kashmir.
While in Jaipur, Imran commented on Sunday, that the time was appropriate for solving the Kashmir issue. He said: “The surge in good will between India and Pakistan should be utilized to find a solution to the Kashmir issue.”
“Time has come for the leadership of both the countries to solve the Kashmir issue amicably, specially when the people of the two nations are ready for it,” Imran said.
Imran also pointed out that the Kashmir issue was hindering progress of the subcontinent since resources were being diverted to armament. If the Kashmir issue was allowed to linger on, extremists on both sides would take advantage, possibly leading to a “hot conflict” between the two nations, he said.
