Why former Pakistan PM Imran Khan played Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankars speech at rally

Pakistan
leaders seldom if ever commend the Indian government. But Imran Khan, cricketer-turned-politician,
and later prime minister, has always sounded a different tune. Now, addressing
a gathering in Lahore, the Tehreek-e-Insaaf chief played a video of Indian
Foreign Minister S Jaishankar to stress on how India pursues an independent
foreign policy without bowing down to pressure from the United States, as
opposed to the ruling regime in Pakistan.

“If India
which got independence at the same time as Pakistan and if New Delhi can take a
firm stand and make their foreign policy as per the need of its people then who
are they (Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif government) who are towing the line,”
Khan said at the gathering, a video of which was shared by several local media
networks.

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“They (US)
ordered India to not buy oil from Russia. India is US’ strategic ally. Pakistan
is not. Let us use what India’s Foreign Minister said when the US asked them
not to buy Russian oil.” And then, Imran Khan played the clip of S Jaishankar speaking
from the GLOBSEC 2022 Bratislava Forum in Slovakia on the topic: ‘Taking
Friendship to the Next Level: Allies in the Indo-Pacific region.”

In the
clip, India’s foreign minister was asked a question with regard to India buying
Russian oil. “Is buying Russian gas not funding the war?” Jaishankar counter-questioned.
 Defending India’s decision to import oil
from Russia, Jaishankar said that it is important to understand how the Ukraine
conflict is impacting developing countries. He also questioned why only India
was being questioned while Europe continues to import gas from Russia amid the
Ukraine war.

Khan then
went on to say: “Jaishankar is telling them who are you? Jaishankar said that Europe
is buying gas from Russia and we will buy it as people need it. This is what an
independent country is (‘yeh hoti hai azad haqumat),” he said. Imran Khan also
criticised the Shehbaz Sharif government for bowing down to US pressure on buying
Russian oil.

Imran Khan
also slammed the Shehbaz Sharif government for bowing down to US pressure on
buying Russian oil. “We had spoken to Russia about buying cheaper oil but this
government has no courage to say no to US pressure. Fuel prices are
skyrocketing, people are below the poverty line. I am against this slavery.”