US annoyed at oil deal with Russia: Imran Khan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan claimed Saturday that the US had got annoyed with his government for negotiating with Russia for cheap oil purchase. He said his government was also in talks with the Russians on cheap gas, adding problems for him began when he said “absolutely not” on the air bases issue.

Traitors were brought in and loyalties were bought to topple his government, Khan said while virtually addressing overseas Pakistanis.

He lamented that murderers and corrupt were imposed on Pakistan, which was an insult to the country.

He paid tribute to overseas Pakistanis for coming out against the foreign conspiracy. He said he wanted to make it clear that he was never against the US and Europe. He said he had a good relationship with former US president Donald Trump, adding “We want to be friends but slavery is unacceptable.”

The PTI chairman said the US was in the habit of giving orders. In the past, he said one leader got the country involved in the war after a threat. Although, he said the country had nothing to do with this war on terror, the United States threatened him to join it and Musharraf could not bear the pressure. “We gave in and their demands increased,” he said.

Speaking on the foreign policy, he emphasised “our foreign policy should be in the interest of the country,” adding he wants “a foreign policy for Pakistanis wherein we should not sacrifice our country for someone else’s interests.”

Imran spoke highly of China and said Beijing was a very good friend and an emerging power that he wanted to have better relations with. “We have been trying for long to have good relations with Russia. We have a big advantage in improving relations with Russia. We have to buy gas and wheat from Russia at a lower price to benefit the people and the Russians are also willing. Today, India is negotiating with Russia for cheaper oil, even though India is a strategic ally of the United States,” he said.

On what he called a foreign conspiracy, Imran Khan said that the US assistant secretary of state had said if the no-confidence motion would be successful, Pakistan would be forgiven otherwise it would have to face consequences. He noted that many American politicians had blamed Pakistan for the US failure in Afghanistan. He said that the US had failed not because of Pakistan, adding the country (Pakistan) had suffered a lot and the tribal belt was devastated.

“Now they again want us to give them air bases. I refused them and they had hatched a conspiracy against my government,” he said. He said a lot of hue and cry was made on inflation and then he had to ask the media to ask people about the price-hike, which had broken all records.

Sometime, he said the Maulana was leading a rally and sometime Bilawal but they all had failed because people were not with them. Now the entire nation has risen against slavery and this imported government, he said, adding the support of overseas Pakistanis is imperative for the PTI movement. He said he would to give a call for a march on Islamabad after May 20 and maintained that they were not in favour of anarchy and wanted to hold a peaceful protest so that the institutions and traitors could know where does the nation stand.

The former premier regretted that the people had chanted slogans in Masjid-e-Nabvi (SAW) and cases were lodged against them in Pakistan. He said the rulers should be ashamed of themselves, adding ‘cherry blossom’ was imposed on the country.

He said slogans against traitors and thieves would echo over the world. He alleged they had managed the media first and then set up “an auction house” in the Sindh House, adding the “cherry blossom and boot polish” would never stand up for the country. He said: “The elite are corrupt and slaves and say they can’t survive without America.”

“The Sharif family owns residences in the most expensive place in London. One of his sons lives in a house worth Rs9 billion but can’t respond to the revelations made in the Panama Papers.” Khan said the threat letter had been presented to the National Security Committee twice and the ambassador had confirmed about it. He sought help from overseas Pakistanis and said all this was not known to Europe, the UK and other countries. Therefore, he said they should ask their politicians, write letters to the editor and launch campaigns on social media. “You must participate in this campaign because your voice is heard and when you run a campaign, it affects people,” he argued.

The PTI chairman said that he had smelt it in July last year that something was cooking up and corrupt politicians from Pakistan were involved in the entire planning against his government. He continued that those who had been looting the country for the last 30 years and had corruption cases against them were not sentenced by the courts under a plan.