Nitish Kumar thanks Imran Khan for praising Bihar development

PATNA: Pakistan cricketer-politician Imran Khan showering praise on Nitish Kumar and willing to emulate "Nitish model" in his party ruled Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Bihar Chief Minister today expressed gratitude towards him and said the state was winning accolades worldover.

"I am thankful to Khan who has appreciated development in Bihar," Kumar told reporters here.

Khan, who is chief of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party which secured second highest percentage of votes in the recent polls, had said, "we want to de-politicise the bureaucracy and the police force as Bihar did."

He had asked the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) government to be transparent and focus on health and education as Nitish has done.

Kumar, who had a long meeting with the cricketer-turned Pakistan politician during his tour of that country in November last year, said it was a matter of pride for people of Bihar that the whole world was talking about positive development in the state.

"Our motto of development with justice is serving as an example for backward areas in particular world over with people saying that if Bihar can do it why cannot we," he said.

Talking about other issues, Kumar said JD(U) defeat in the recently held Maharajganj by-election was not a "cause of tension."

Seeking to derive virtue out of defeat, he said JD(U) vote percentage had rather increased from past elections.

The winner Prabhunath Singh who has considerable personal influence in the constituency is basically our party leader who shifted to RJD.

He said the party would review the Maharajganj elections minutely and take corrective steps.

On Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) proposing to bring political parties under RTI, Kumar said he favoured a consensus opinion of the parties on the issue.