Pakistan: Beleaguered Imran Khan praises India's independent foreign policy

Islamabad: Under attack from a united opposition, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan chose to praise arch rival India's foreign policy, saying New Delhi despite being a member of the Quad has chosen a foreign policy that is in the interest of the country and its people.

Addressing a public gathering on Sunday, ahead of a no-confidence motion filed against him in the parliament, Imran Khan said that a nation's foreign policy should be for the betterment of its people, which was not the case when the opposition parties of PML-N and PPP were ruling the country.

“My nation's foreign policy should be for the betterment of my people. “I laud our neighbouring country, India for always following an independent foreign policy. Today India is part of the Quad, and is in alliance with the US, but still calls itself neutral. “It is importing oil from Russia, despite the sanctions—that is because India's foreign policy is for the betterment of its people,” he said, and proceeded to slam the two main opposition parties.

He said the two parties never followed the country's interests, and that they hoarded their money in foreign destinations, and worshipped only money. He told the crowd that Pakistan would never be free under their rule. Pakistan's parliament on Friday will take up a no-confidence motion against Imran Khan, a move that has heightened fears of political turmoil in the country.

An alliance of opposition parties filed the motion against Khan earlier this month, saying he had lost his parliamentary majority after more than a dozen prominent leaders defected from his PTI party.

The joint opposition commands 163 seats in the lower house of the National Assembly of Pakistan, but could build a majority if most of the defectors join.

Without the coalition partners and the dissidents, Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, which has 155 seats in the lower house, would fall short of the 172 needed to retain power.

The joint opposition has a strength of nearly 163 but could build a majority if most of the defectors effectively join its ranks via a no-confidence vote. The opposition accuses Khan of mismanaging the economy and foreign policy.

During a rally on Sunday, Khan appealed to the disgruntled lawmakers to return to the ruling party. “Come back and I will forgive you. We all make mistakes,” he said in the city of Malakand in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. “Like a father forgives his children.”

Khan's PTI has accused some in the opposition of bribing and offering political favours to dissidents and other allies in an attempt to bring down the government. (UNI)