Pak PM Imran Khan Slams EU Envoys, Questions Why It Didn’t Write Letter to India on Kashmir

“Has anyone of you severed trade relations with India or objected to its unlawful actions,” Khan asked, adding, “are we slaves and act according to your wishes.”

SRINAGAR — Lashing out at the European Union ambassadors’ `undiplomatic’ statement wanting Pakistan to condemn Russia for Ukraine invasion, the country’s premier Imran Khan asked the bloc whether it wrote such a letter to India which violated UN Security Council resolutions and revoked the autonomous status of Jammu and Kashmir.

“Have you ever acknowledged Pakistan’s support in war against terror which claimed 80,000 lives and caused other collateral damage,” he said while addressing a public meeting in Mailsi town of Vehari district on Sunday.

“Has anyone of you severed trade relations with India or objected to its unlawful actions,” Mr Khan asked, adding, “are we slaves and act according to your wishes.”
The last week’s press release by ambassadors of 23 countries had asked Pakistan “to join them in condemning Russia’s actions [in Ukraine] and to voice support for upholding the UN Charter and the founding principles of international law”.

Objecting to that press release, the Foreign Office had said: “We took note of that and in a subsequent meeting with a group of ambassadors, we expressed our concern about that because it was not the way diplomacy should be practised”.

Last week, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) passed a non-binding resolution, demanding the immediate withdrawal of all Russian troops from Ukraine. Out of five South Asian nations, only Nepal voted for the resolution while Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka decided to abstain.

Pakistan’s Ambassador Munir Akram had also asserted in the UN that Islamabad supported all efforts to restore peace in Ukraine. “We are advocating a ceasefire and negotiations. If we had joined the Ukraine resolution, we would have no political space for diplomacy between the two sides,” he had asserted.

The prime minister said Pakistan did not want any confrontation with any country and wanted to have good relations with all — Russia, the US, China and Europe. “Islamabad is not in any camp. We are neutral and make efforts that the Russia-Ukraine war should come to an end at the earliest as it is a great loss to the world,” he said.

He also made it clear that he was born in an independent country and would never bow before any force compromising its self-esteem.