Went to Russia for country’s benefit: Imran Khan
- Says Russia wanted to sell oil at a discount of 30%
Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan said on Thursday that he went to Russia earlier this year for the good of the nation and that his government wanted to buy cheap gas and wheat from the country that is currently embroiled in a war with Ukraine.
Wheat import: FO says govt in talks with Russia
Addressing lawyers at an event organized by the Islamabad High Court Bar (IHCB), the PM said that the recent rise in petroleum prices will have serious repercussions. He predicted that the inflation rate would cross 30%, causing trouble to the salaried and middle-class people, and said this could have been avoided if Pakistan had bought oil from Russia at a discount of 30%.
"When we reached there we found out that Russia wanted to sell oil at a discount of 30%. So our trip there was important because it was beneficial to our people," the party chairman said.
Khan's trip to Russia was a controversial one: he believes his ouster as PM was led by a foreign conspiracy, in part because the US was irked by the visit.
The issue of buying oil from Russia has also been a matter of much debate.
Difficult to imagine buying Russian oil at this time: Miftah Ismail
Last month, Minister of State for Petroleum Dr Musadik Malik rejected PTI claims that the party had been in the process of purchasing oil from Russia at a discounted rate when it was in power. He said the incumbent government found no evidence of this.
"Russia has not offered us any oil, and it is now under sanctions. So it is very difficult for me to imagine buying Russian oil," Finance Minister Miftah Ismail had said during an interview with CNN.
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Meanwhile, at the IHC event, Imran called on the nation not to accept the current "imported government". He said that if the nation does not resist the US alleged threat, no premier in the future would dare to stand against the foreign powers.
“Nobody knows the Americans better than me... the more you are going to bow before them, the more they will keep demanding you to do more. But they will respect you if you stick to your stance.”
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