On the eve of the 75th Independence Day in Pakistan, former Prime Minister Imran Khan addressed a huge rally where he praised India’s independent foreign policy and the act of ‘taking a firm stand’ against West, especially when the US was being critical of India for buying Russian oil.
This comes at a time, when US has expressed its apprehensions that an Indian company had hid the origin of Russian oil, processed it and shipped some products to New York.
He pointed out how India is able to buy Russian oil despite the western pressure, while Pakistan is struggling to secure its people’s interest.
“India, which got independence a day after us, is able to take a firm stand and design its foreign policy as per its people’s needs. Then who are they (Shehbaz) who are towing their (West) line.”
He then added, “yeh hoti hai azad haqumat (This is what a strong and independent government looks like).”
The clip of EAM Jaishankar played during Lahore Jalsa was of June 3, when in response to a question on India buying Russian oil, he counter questioned, ‘Is buying Russian gas not funding the war?”
Jaishankar made these remarks at the GLOBSEC 2022 Bratislava Forum being held in Slovakia on the topic ‘Taking Friendship to the Next Level: Allies in the Indo-Pacific Region’.
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While defending India’s oil imports from Russia, Jaishankar stressed that it is important to understand how the Ukraine conflict is impacting the developing countries. He also questioned why only India was being questioned while Europe continues to import gas from Russia amid the Ukraine war.
Responding to a question on whether India’s oil imports from Russia is not funding the ongoing Ukraine war, Jaishankar said, “Look I don’t want to sound argumentative. If India funding Russia oil is funding the war… Tell me then buying Russian gas is not funding the war? It’s only Indian money and Russian oil coming to India funding the war and not Russia’s gas coming to Europe not funding? Let’s be a little even-handed.”
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