United Nations meeting - Imran Khan told his blood, will it have the opposite effect?

Is Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan exploiting anti-US sentiments within the country? Opinions of experts are divided on this.

Imran Khan's anger against America has been publicly visible in recent months. On Sunday, the Pakistani Prime Minister once again took on the diplomats of the West in Islamabad.

Last week, Western diplomats in Pakistan asked Imran Khan to condemn Russia's attack on Ukraine. For this, the diplomats of the European Union wrote a letter to the government of Pakistan.

This letter to Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was exasperated. Addressing a rally in Vehari in Punjab province on Sunday, he lashed out at EU diplomats.

Imran Khan said, "We never let Pakistan bow down. Till today Imran Khan has bowed before anyone and Inshallah as long as there is blood in me, I will not allow my community to bow down to anyone. The people of the European Union wrote a letter to Pakistan asking you to make statements against Russia. I ask the ambassadors of the European Union, did you write this letter to India too? It was Pakistan that helped NATO. We supported them. I do not do this, but the government of that time supported them.

Pakistan's stand-in UN voting on Ukraine crisis

Imran Khan said, "What did Pakistan get from this. 80 thousand Pakistanis lost their lives. Our tribal area was destroyed. Billions of dollars were lost. I want to ask the leaders of the European Union, did you thank us? Instead of thanking them, they started blaming us for their defeat in Afghanistan. When India broke international law in Kashmir, did any of you break ties with India? Are we your slaves to do whatever you say?

When Imran Khan was saying all this, his supporters present in the rally were welcomed with thunderous applause. Pakistan has traditionally been an ally of the West. But when a resolution was brought in the United Nations General Assembly against Russia's attack on Ukraine, Pakistan was out of voting. Apart from Pakistan, China, India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka were also out. But this was not a new stand of India. Pakistan was in the US camp in the Cold War but now it has changed sides.

Imran Khan reached Moscow on the day Russia announced the military operation in Ukraine. Even then the people of Pakistan had said that Imran had visited Russia at the wrong time.

Well-known Pakistani columnist Farooq Salim tweeted, "Russia attacked Ukraine. He has broken international rules. The opinion of the whole world is not in favor of Russia. Is Imran Khan justifying his attack on Ukraine by visiting Russia at such a time?

Imran Khan's criticism

On Friday, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesman said about the EU letter that it is not normal diplomatic practice to write a public letter in this way.

Hussain Haqqani, who was Pakistan's ambassador to the US, tweeted and wrote, "Imran Khan is accusing the US and the EU. What happened to the claims in which he used to say that no one understands the West better than him? But the truth is that playing cricket does not make any good sense. The leaders of Pakistan also incite anti-American sentiment and also want American help.

After this statement of Imran Khan, Farooq Salim tweeted again and said, "Please, please do not harm the economy of Pakistan for cheap popularity. We export $8 billion to the UK, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Belgium, France, Canada, Poland, and Portugal. Our exports from America are worth four billion dollars. Our exports from Russia are only $277 million. Eight crores of our workers are dependent on exports.

Former Pakistan Finance Minister Ishaq Dar tweeted, "Another hate speech by Imran Khan. He is spewing poison in his last days as Prime Minister. The person who did not fulfill even a single promise is embarrassing Pakistan. publicly attacking NATO and the EU in violation of diplomatic rules.

ORF Senior Fellow Sushant Sarin has written, "Imran Khan is threatening America and the EU. He is saying that those who live in debt have no self-respect, but they have forgotten that they have made Pakistan bankrupt and trapped in a debt trap.

Pakistani journalist Cyril Almeida tweeted, "Imran Khan will not give up on his stupidity about America. President Biden hasn't even called him. How much more distance does Imran Khan want to make from America?