Imran Khan commends India’s foreign policy, plays EAM Jaishankar’s clip at Lahore rally
Ahead of the Pakistan independence day, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan held a massive rally Lahore on August 13 where Imran Khan showered India with praises and even played a clip of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s speech at the rally, news agency ANI reports.
At the rally, attended by thousands of PTI supporters, Imran Khan is said to have played a clip of Jaishankar’s speech from the Bratislava Forum that was held in Slovakia and hailed him for standing firmly against US pressure over buying oil from Russia amid condemnation.
“If India 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 why are they (Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif government) towing the line,” Imran Khan allegedly said at the gathering, according to videos shared by several media outlets.
Just before playing the speech, Imran Khan also said – “They (US) ordered India to not buy oil from Russia. India is US’ strategic ally, Pakistan is not. Let us see what India’s Foreign Minister said when the US asked them not to buy Russian oil.”
After playing out bits of the speech, Khan hit out at the current Shehbaz Sharif government comparing what happened in India with that of Pakistan. “Jaishankar is telling them who are you? Jaishakar said that Europe is buying gas from Russia and we will buy it as people need it. This is what an independent country looks like,” he said while praising India. Khan also accused the Sharif government of doing the opposite of what India did and accused the PM of bowing down to US pressure on buying Russian oil. The clip that Khan shared is from Jaishankar’s speech was from June 3, when he was responding to a question on India buying Russian oil, Jaishankar counter asking, “Is buying Russian gas not funding the war?”
This is not the first time Imran Khan has praised India over its Foreign Policy. Earlier, Khan praised India saying “no power can dictate terms to India which is a sovereign nation, unlike Pakistan.” (News 18)
