The strained relations, to put it mildly, between India and Pakistan have long been well known to all. All the more sensational is the praise of New Delhi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi by his colleague Imran Khan. According to Geo News, the Pakistani Prime Minister praised India and its leaders for pursuing an “independent foreign policy” regarding the crisis in Ukraine. India, Imran Khan told a rally in Malakand, Habyer Pakhtunkhwa province, is not only friends with the United States through the Quadripartite Security Dialogue (Quad), but also buys oil to Russia despite the fact that the United States announced an embargo on Russian energy, including oil.
“Today I want to praise India, which has always pursued an independent foreign policy,” said Khan, who, by the way, is in deep trouble and awaiting a vote of confidence in Pakistan’s parliament. with the United States in the Quad. But it continues to affirm its status of neutrality… Despite the danger of falling under sanctions, it also buys oil from Russia. India’s policy is to ensure the welfare and welfare of the people of India.”
Khan stressed that he too cared about the people of Pakistan and that he and Pakistan had never bowed to anyone before.
According to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, the ambassadors of European countries persuaded him to go against Russia, but he refused to do so, because he was sure that the support of the European Union in this matter would not bring anything to the Pakistan.
By the way, Imran Khan made a similar statement at a rally in Vehari, Punjab province, on March 6. Then he called “undiplomatic” the statement by EU ambassadors calling on Pakistan to condemn Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
“Have any of you severed business relations with India or spoken out against its illegal actions?” Dawn quoted it two weeks ago.
Imran Khan, remember, made an official visit to Moscow on February 24, the day the special operation began. He says he regrets the conflict, but wants to remain neutral.
Recall that on March 4, Pakistan and India, along with 11 other countries, abstained in a vote at the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) on a resolution calling for the creation of an international commission that would investigate Russia’s special operation in Ukraine.
Indian Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said the government was in talks to buy Russian oil at a discount with senior Russian officials. And, most likely, New Delhi will pay for Russian oil in rupees. It is supposed to create a settlement mechanism in national currencies in order to circumvent Western sanctions against Russia.
By the way, Islamabad itself also pursues mutually beneficial cooperation with Moscow. The Pakistanis, for example, are planning to build the Pakistan Stream gas pipeline with Russia, the Financial Times reports, citing Pakistani Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin. This project is also called North-South Gas Pipeline as it will transport liquefied natural gas from the port of Karachi in the south of the country to the north.
