Imran Khan, the
Pakistan prime minister, having returned from Russia since the beginning of the
war in Ukraine, praised India’s foreign policy on Sunday in a surprising move.
The leader of the country with consistent tensions with India commended India on
New Delhi’s independent stand on foreign policy matters.

“Main aaj
Hindustan ko daad deta hun (I praise Hindustan) as they always had an
independent foreign policy,” Khan, the 69-year-old cricketer-turned-politician,
said. “Today, India is in their (America) alliance and they are part of QUAD
(Quadrilateral Security Dialogue); they say they are neutral.”

“They are
importing oil from Russia despite sanctions because of the betterment of
people,” Khan added, referring to India’s decision to not toe the West’s line
on the Russia-Ukraine crisis. He was speaking at a rally in Pakistan’s Kyber
Pakhtunwa while listing the achievements made by his government with a no-confidence
vote scheduled against him on March 25.

India has
consistently taken a non-partisan view on the Ukraine crisis. While calling for
an end to the violence, India has not joined its Western allies in imposing
sanctions on Moscow. Despite its ties with the West, India’s relations with
Russia, which go back to the Soviet Union, have remained unperturbed through
the war in Ukraine.

While Moscow has
certainly appreciated India not taking a stanch West-aligned position on the
Ukraine war, the United States and its allies have taken an issue. India has
abstained from at least three United Nations Security Council (UNSC) votes, two
United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) votes and one at the International
Atomic Energy Association (IAEA).

India’s abstention
from the votes has led the West to believe that not voting under the
circumstances is a vote for Russia. For India, not paying heed to the “strategic
partnership” forged in October 2000 is hardly an option. Russia remains India’s
biggest supplier of defence equipment even though the country is making strides
on developing indigenous technology. Russia currently supplies 49% to 70% of
arms to India.