Raj Thackeray: If Indian pilot is freed, grab Imran's olive branch

If Pakistan frees the captured IAF pilot Abhinandan Varthaman and orders a ceasefire, then Prime Minister Narendra Modi should grab his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan's offer for talks, MNS President Raj Thackeray said on Thursday.

"If Pakistan is really sincere in their offer of constructive talks, then the first step in this direction must come from them. They have to release our pilot Abhinandan immediately and call for ceasefire," the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief said.

"If this can be achieved, then we can believe that Imran Khan's intentions are noble. If all this takes place, then Modi should not let this opportunity pass by," he said.

Thackeray's statement came against the backdrop of Khan's offer for talks to resolve the tensions between the two neighbours in the aftermath of the February 14 suicide attack in Kashmir and the subsequent developments.

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