GURGAON (India), Nov 7: Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf chief Imran Khan said on Wednesday he hoped President Barack Obama would “give peace a chance” now that he had been re-elected and stop US drone attacks.

“What Pakistan would be hoping for is a de-escalation of violence now in Afghanistan and the drone attacks in Pakistan’s tribal areas,” Mr Khan told reporters in Gurgaon where he was attending the India World Economic Forum.

He said that Mr Obama’s first term in office had been “very tough on Pakistan – an increase in drone attacks and a surge in Afghanistan and increased militancy in Pakistan as a result”.

“Now he (Obama) is no longer under the pressure to be re-elected we hope that he will give peace a chance which we so desperately need,” he said.

Mr Khan argues that drone strikes are illegal and counter-productive and last month led thousands of supporters – and some US peace activists – to the edge of tribal region to protest against them.

The PTI leader said he wanted President Obama to call a ceasefire in Afghanistan, adding that if Americans did not “get it right it is conceivable that they will leave it in a bigger mess than they found it”.

The White House has said that Washington will gradually hand over security responsibility to the Afghans and eventually withdraw US troops. The US-led Nato force plans to pull out its 100,000 troops by the end of 2014.—AFP