PM-in-waiting gives new hopes to Indians, Pakistanis

Women from India and Pakistan during last year's Independence Day celebrations.

Pakistan's prime minister-in-waiting, Imran Khan, in his victory speech extended a hand of friendship to India, giving hope to the general public on both sides of the border.
As the newly elected Pakistan government takes shape, Khaleej Times asked Indian expats what their hopes and aspirations are from the new Pakistan government.
Nasreen Abdullah, a digital media manager, said that she is quite excited to see change in Pakistan. "It is after a long time that Pakistan has a had brand new leadership and I hope it is a start of a new era.
Both countries have a lot in common and can achieve a lot if they work together," according to Nasreen.
She, however, feels that there is a lot of bad blood and the problems the countries face are deep rooted. "Change might not happen too soon but there could be a change in attitudes which is equally good."
Arijit Sen, a senior manager at a multinational group, said that most politicians normally just give out sound bytes. "We have to wait and see in the next few months as to how things go on both sides of the border."
He added that for a long time, the countries have been stuck in a stalemate.
"I would like to see de-escalation on both sides of the border. This will be good for the business environment. Both countries are amongst the biggest economies in the region and due to military escalation, the economy has been impacted.
"People moving freely is what I'd like to see," he added.
Ancy Alexander, a PR consultant, hopes that both countries would develop better tolerance and understanding. "At the end of the day, both countries have a lot of similarities and it would be great if they develop tolerance towards each other," she said.
"A lot of promises have been made in the past so now it remains to be seen is how things progress and what positive change comes out of this. A great example is all of us living in Dubai where we share a great deal together. We live as family and friends. If we have such advantages in Dubai, we should take this to an international level," she added.
Surendar Kandhari, a businessman is of the view that a change is Pakistan government is a good thing to happen. "Imran Khan's hand of friendship is a good thing to happen and it will go a long way in building positive relations," he said.
"In the end, good relations between both countries will bring about positivity and make a difference to us a nations and as individuals too. I hope and propose for good relations between both countries in the future."
asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com

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