Imran Khan stressed that an independent foreign policy was crucial for the country. (File)
Islamabad:
Ahead of Sunday’s no-confidence vote, Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Friday that a “powerful country” that supports India is angry with Pakistan over its recent visit to Russia to meet with President Vladimir Putin.
Speaking in the security dialogue in Islamabad, Imran Khan stressed that an independent foreign policy is crucial for the country, saying the reason Pakistan failed to reach its peak potential was its dependence syndrome on other powerful nations.
“A province without an independent foreign policy is still incapable of safeguarding the interests of the people,” he said.
Imran Khan said it was extremely important to make independent decisions while upholding the interests of a nation, rather than submitting to the will of other countries in exchange for foreign aid.
Referring to the US, he said a “powerful country” had expressed displeasure over his recent visit to Russia, the official APP news agency reported.
“On the other hand, it supports its ally India, which imports oil from Russia,” he lamented.
Khan’s comments came a day after Pakistan subpoenaed the acting US envoy in Islamabad to the State Department over a “threatening” letter and an alleged “foreign-financed plot” against the Pakistani government of Tehreek-e-Insaf led by Khan.
The US diplomat was summoned hours after the country’s top national security decision-making body raised concerns about the issue at a meeting chaired by Khan on Thursday.
Khan met with Russian President Putin in the Kremlin on February 24, the day the Russian president ordered a “special military operation” against Ukraine.
Pakistan’s ties to Russia have moved past the bitter hostilities of the Cold War in recent years, and the chill in Pakistan-US relations has pushed the country further towards Russia and China.
US President Joe Biden has yet to make a customary phone call to Prime Minister Khan since he took office in January 2021.
In his speech, Khan said his government has pursued an independent foreign policy.
“How come a country can meddle in the affairs of an independent state,” he said. “But not to blame them, because it’s our fault for giving them this impression.” He said Pakistani elites were throwing the nation to the altar and risking its self-esteem out of self-interest.
Last month, Pakistan abstained from the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution calling on Russia to end the war against Ukraine, and pushed for a solution to the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.
Khan has claimed that the opposition’s vote of no confidence was the result of a “foreign conspiracy” over his independent foreign policy and that funds were channeled from abroad to remove him from power.
The 69-year-old prime minister effectively lost a majority in parliament on Wednesday after Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), a key partner of the ruling coalition, joined the opposition, who filed a no-confidence statement. motion against his government in the National Assembly. The crucial vote on the motion of no confidence will take place on Sunday.
The leader of the opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif, Khan said: “Those who are preparing to go to the Prime Minister’s office are giving interviews that my statements will anger America and Pakistan without his support.” The prime minister said the decisions of previous politicians have led to a situation where no other country respects Pakistan.
“They are ordering us. They are saying that if the no-confidence vote is unsuccessful, there will be consequences for Pakistan,” he said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.)
