This is why Pakistan defied the world for Russia deal
There is a good reason why Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Imran Khan decided to defy the world to get natural gas from Russia.
While this secures Russia’s continuous sale of the precious item which is the subject of much debate in the EU, it also allows Khan to leverage at home.
A lot of prominent countries are protesting and adding to sanctions against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But not Pakistan.
As countries implement sanctions and strive to isolate Vladimir Putin, Khan became the first leader since the attack to sign a new economic agreement with Russia.
He said the two had “excellent chats” during his visit to Moscow last week, which coincided with Putin’s initiation of the assault.
The two leaders decided to establish a bilateral deal, and Khan promised to buy two million tonnes of wheat from Russia.
Wheat will be another major food security issue in the coming months if the war in Ukraine is not settled immediately.
Pakistan first
Thus Pakistan strikes it rich with its deals with Moscow.
In a televised speech to his country, Khan justified the agreement, claiming Pakistan needed it. And rightly so.
With the global supply chains still facing breakdown and slowdown, Pakistan made the right move, some would say.
“We have signed agreements with them to import natural gas because Pakistan’s own gas reserves are depleting,” Khan said.
“Inshallah (God willing), the time will tell that we have had great discussions.”
Despite the West’s outrage over the invasion of Ukraine, Imran Khan has chosen to work with Russia. This will irritate the West even more. It is also working closely with China at many levels.
Khan has voiced worry over the invasion of Ukraine but has not condemned it.
Khan told Putin he “regretted the latest situation between Russia and Ukraine” and had hoped “diplomacy could avert a military conflict.”
Niet to UN
Now, the senior diplomats of 22 nations have urged Pakistan to support a resolution in the United Nations General Assembly denouncing Russia’s actions against Ukraine.
Last week, Russian state media published photographs of Khan and Putin shaking hands and sitting down together in Moscow, just hours after Putin declared war on Ukraine in a televised address.
Mr Khan landed in Moscow late Wednesday, carrying out a scheduled tour on the day of the invasion.
The prime minister was heard in a video clip telling Russian officials on his arrival that it was a time of “so much excitement”.
“What a time I have come… so much excitement,” Mr Khan can be heard saying in the clip shared on social media.
The US reacted angrily to the news of Mr Khan’s visit even before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began, saying the onus was on every “responsible” country to voice objection to Mr Putin’s actions.
Photos: YouTube