India Slams 'Desperate' Imran Khan For Raising Kashmir Issue At Davos

India has termed as 'desperate' Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's call for international intervention powers to help de-escalate tensions between the two countries before things get to a point of no return. India said Pakistan should stop trying to "distract" the global community and work instead on taking verifiable action against terror groups on its territory.

Speaking to mediapersons, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar observed that there was "nothing new" in what Imran Khan had said at the World Economic Forum meet in Davos, Switzerland.

Khan had urged international powers - including the United Nations and the United States - to prevent a showdown between "two nuclear-armed countries". "You cannot have two nuclear-armed countries even contemplating a conflict," he said, claiming that there was every possibility of India trying to raise tensions at the border to "divert attention from domestic issues".

When asked the comments made by Imran Khan, Kumar responded by saying 'we are hardly surprised by the content and tone of his remarks'.

"We have seen reports about certain remarks on India and India-Pakistan relations made by Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan at Davos," MEA said.

"We are hardly surprised by the content and tone of his remarks. They are not only factually inaccurate and contradictory, but also demonstrate a growing sense of frustration," he said.

"Pakistan has to realise that the global community has seen through this double-standard of playing the victim card in their fight against terror on the one hand, and supporting terror groups targeting India and other countries on the other," Kumar said.

"If Pakistan is indeed serious for a peaceful and normal relationship with India as he claims, the onus is on Pakistan to create a conducive atmosphere. They have to take credible, irreversible and verifiable action against terror groups operating from its soil rather than making misleading  and alarmist statements to divert the attention of international community," he added.

India also snubbed US President Donald Trump's fresh offer to "help" in resolving the Kashmir dispute on Thursday saying 'there was no role for any third party in the issue'.

"Our position on Kashmir has been clear and consistent through the years. These are bilateral issues that need to be discussed between India and Pakistan, and there is no role for a third party in this situation," he said.