India, Pak can reduce poverty by trading with each other, says Imran Khan

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday said that India and his country can reduce poverty by trading with each other.

He made the comments while in conversation with Nancy Lindborg, the President of the US Institute of Peace (USIP) in Washington during his three-day visit.

"Pakistan at the moment, most of all needs stability (and thus) a good relationship with our neighbours," Khan said.

He further said that he has assured Prime Minister Narendra Modi that if he comes "one step towards us, we will go two steps towards you -- because the biggest problem India and Pakistan face is poverty. The best way we can reduce poverty is if we start trading with each other."

India has maintained that Pakistan first has to stop cross-border terrorism for talks to take place. India has lost scores of personnel due to cross-border terrorism.

In February, about 40 CRPF personnel lost their lives after a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into their convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama.

India's intense diplomatic efforts bore fruit when the Pakistan-based JeM chief Masood Azhar was blacklisted as a global terrorist by the UN Security Council on May 1.