‘General Bajwa wished me to sentence Russia for Ukraine invasion’: Imran Khan

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has alleged that former Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa wished him to sentence Russia for invading Ukraine, however he determined to remain ‘impartial’, citing India’s instance.  

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan (left) stated former Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa (proper) wished him to sentence Russia for invading Ukraine to appease the US.

By India Today Web Desk: The relationship between Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan and former Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa appears to be going downhill by the day.

Now, the cricketer-turned-politician has made damning claims in opposition to the previous Army chief stating that it was Bajwa who wished him to sentence Russia for invading Ukraine, however he determined to remain ‘impartial’, citing India’s instance.

While speaking to college students and non secular students on Monday, Khan stated, “On my return from Russia (a year ago being premier), General Bajwa asked me to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. I told him that India, which is a strategic ally of the US, is staying neutral. So, Pakistan should stay neutral.”

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India has adopted a ‘neutral’ approach towards the Russia-Ukraine war. It has abstained from successive votes in the UN Security Council and UN General Assembly, which condemned Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and has thus far refused to openly call out Russia as the instigator of the crisis.

While speaking at the 77th UN General Assembly in September last year, India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called for peace and the need to end the Russia-Ukraine war through diplomacy.

“We are often asked whose side we are on. And our answer, each time, is straight and honest. India is on the side of peace and will remain firmly there,” Jaishankar had said.

Talking about his Russia visit, Khan said, “I went to Russia to persuade President Vladimir Putin to provide wheat and gasoline to Pakistan at cheaper charges as was being equipped to India. With the help of Russia, India lowered its inflation from 7.5 per cent to five.5 per cent however Pakistan’s inflation charge rose from 12 per cent to 30 per cent.”

‘WANTED ME TO CONDEMN RUSSIA TO APPEASE US’

Khan’s maiden official visit to Moscow triggered a controversy in Pakistan as it coincided with the day President Putin ordered a “particular army operation” against Ukraine.

Khan said Bajwa wanted him to condemn Putin to appease the United States. “But I put Pakistan’s curiosity above,” he said.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief said that after his refusal, General Bajwa himself condemned Russia at a security seminar to appease the US.

‘BAJWA WAS THE SUPER KING, I WAS THE PUPPET’

Khan, who was removed from the post of Prime Minister through a no-confidence motion passed in April last year, also said General Bajwa was the ‘main player’ responsible for the conspiracy that resulted in his ouster from power. “Bajwa is a supply of all of the crises plaguing Pakistan right now,” he said.

Also Read | Puppet Imran Khan, master General Bajwa and an India story

Earlier, Khan described General Bajwa, who retired in November last year, as the “super-king” and said his three-and-a-half-year stint in the Prime Minister’s Office was more like a “puppet”.

“General Bajwa had become an expert in everything, including economy, politics, and foreign policy. Bajwa used to get the credit for good decisions and Khan used to serve as a punching bag for every wrong decision,” he lambasted.

PAKISTAN’S DWINDLING ECONOMY

Pakistan has been reeling underneath a large financial disaster with the nation’s rupee recording a historic low of 275 to the US greenback, inflation rising to over 27 per cent and overseas alternate reserves dropping to the bottom degree since 1998 at round USD 3 billion which isn’t sufficient even to cowl a month’s imports.

Also Read | ‘We’ll end up like Sri Lanka’: Pakistan stares at financial collapse as IMF visits

The drawback has been additional exacerbated by a collection of terror assaults, together with a significant suicide bombing within the northwestern metropolis of Peshawar on January 30 that killed greater than 100 folks.

Global strategic consultants are of the opinion that Pakistan is dealing with an unprecedented diplomatic and financial disaster and even its pals within the Islamic world now recognise that the nation has to set its home so as and never help radical Islamic teams to function from its territory.

Also Read | Oil business in Pakistan on verge of ‘collapse’ amid liquidity disaster

Edited By:

Raajnandini Mukherjee

Published On:

Feb 15, 2023