Imran Khan applauds India for standing firm in the face of US pressure on buying oil from Russia.
Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan praised India for its independent foreign policy and criticized the West for criticizing India for buying Russian oil.
Imran Khan, speaking to a packed gathering in Lahore, played a video clip of Foreign Minister S Jaishankar at the Bratislava Forum in Slovakia and praised him for resisting U.S. pressure to buy cheap oil from Russia.
“If India, which got independence at the same time as Pakistan, and if New Delhi can take a firm stand and make its foreign policy according to the needs of its people, then who are they (Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government) towing the line, Imran Khan said at the meeting, the video of which was shared by several media outlets.
“We had talked to Russia about buying cheaper oil, but this government does not have the courage to say no to U.S. pressure. Fuel prices are skyrocketing, people are below the poverty line. I am against this slavery.”
The clip was from June 3 when Jaishankar, in response to a question about India’s purchase of Russian oil, replied, “Doesn’t buy Russian gas fund the war?”
Jaishankar made these comments at the GLOBSEC 2022 Bratislava Forum held in Slovakia on the theme “Taking Friendship to the Next Level: Allies in the Indo-Pacific Region.”
The EAM responded to unfair criticism of Indian oil purchases from Russia in the midst of the Ukraine war that has created a copycat effect on the global economy.
While defending India’s oil imports from Russia, Jaishankar emphasized that it is important to understand how the Ukraine conflict is affecting developing countries. He also questioned why only India is being questioned while Europe continues to import gas from Russia in the midst of Ukraine.
“Look, I don’t want to sound argumentative. Is India funding Russia’s oil is funding the war? Tell me, then, that buying Russian gas is not funding the war. Only Indian money and Russian oil coming to India is funding the war and not Russia’s gas coming to Europe is not funding? Let’s be a bit impartial,” he had said.
Former Pak PM Imran Khan plays out video clip of India’s foreign minister Dr S Jaishankar during his mega Lahore Rally on Saturday, pointing out his remarks how India is buying Russian oil despite western pressure. Says, ‘yeh hoti hai Azad Haqumat’ pic.twitter.com/tsSiFLteIv
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) August 14, 2022
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