The Kashmir-centric political leadership and separatists in Jammu and Kashmir, who had urged Prime Minister Narendera Modi to hold Pakistan’s Prime Minister-in-waiting Imran Khan’s hands, are expecting too much from him. Imran’s dependence will be more on the Pakistan Army and ISI as he has failed to secure a clear majority in the National Assembly. Out of the four provincial assemblies, Khan has got two-third majority only in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Imran Khan has to come clear on his stand towards terrorism amidst reports that in a bid to grab power in Punjab, Khan’s emissary Chaudhary Sarwar has held meetings with leaders of the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) that is a terrorist outfit banned by the UN, US, UK, Russia, India, Canada and Australia.

He was also reported to be in touch with leaders of another terror outfit Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ). Both these outfits have been able to secure some seats in the Punjab assembly. The LeJ is also considered an anti-Shia outfit.

Leaders of political parties of J-K, including Mehbooba Mufti (PDP), Farooq Abdullah (NC) and also the separatists, in a knee-jerk reaction to Khan’s offer of dialogue even before he takes over as the PM of Pakistan, were probably trying to address their respective constituencies. India is likely to take any initiative after closely watching for some time the situation in Pakistan.

Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) bagged 114 of the 270 seats in the National Assembly. The PTI has not secured majority in the three other provincial assemblies of Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan.

Political observers feel that India shall have to wait to see the ground reality of Imran’s assertion that ‘Pakistan would walk two steps in response to India’s one towards peace in Kashmir’ only after he takes over reins of Pakistan.

India has from time to time taken several steps and also initiated confidence-building measures to ease tension in Kashmir, but Pakistan has always betrayed the initiatives of successive governments in New Delhi.

The Kashmir-centric leaders pleading in favour of Imran Khan probably are ignoring the fact that Pakistan has constantly been engaged in pushing trained terrorists into Jammu and Kashmir to create an atmosphere of fear among the common people and as such they should not shy away from calling the spade a spade.

Imran Khan in his victory speech blamed India for the turmoil in Kashmir and remained mum over the misery being caused due to the Pakistan-backed terrorism. However, he has to take the first step towards normalcy by demolishing the terrorist training camps along the International Border and Line of Control (LOC) with India if at all he was true to his words, say observers.