Islamabad: It seems that after Pakistan got its new Prime Minister in August, the country is extending a hand friendship towards India. “If you take one step forward, we will take two steps forward,” said Imran Khan, while addressing India, in his victory speech.

However, according to Western diplomats and a senior Pakistan official, the country’s powerful military had quietly reached out to India to resume peace talks way before the general election.

This effort is seen as outcome of tarnished ties with China and the US – two of Pakistan’s most trusted allies.

While China and Pakistan had a fallout over the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project, the US cut more than $1 billion of aid to Pakistan after the latter failed to curb terror groups.

Pakistan received another blow when the American military said it would withhold $300 million in aid to Pakistan. Before Pakistan said that they can do away with aid from US as China was there to back them up. However, after the Asian giant put Islamabad on a terror-financing watch list, it seems that Pakistan has no one to fall upon.

Pakistan now wants to open trade barriers with India, which would give the country access to regional markets.

“We want to move forward and we are trying our best to have good ties with all our neighbors, including India,” Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry.

Pakistan is expected to ask for $9 billion from International Monetary Fund to pay its bills.