Do you think Pakistan is a slave, Imran Khan questions western envoys

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has slashed back at Islamabad-based western envoys who last week urged Pakistan to condemn Russia’s attack on Ukraine, asking them if they thought Pakistan was their “slave”.

On March 1, the heads of 22 diplomatic missions based in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad, including a large number of European Union member states, issued a joint letter urging Pakistan to support a resolution in the United Nations General Assembly condemning Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

The letter signed by the foreign dignitaries also urged Pakistan to condemn Russia’s actions, in belief that the unprovoked terror attack by Russia on Ukraine is inhumane.

The letter was released to the public, in a rare move.

Pakistan did not comply with the request stipulated in the letter. The country abstained from voting for the resolution. Similar to Pakistan, neighboring India had also abstained from voting.

Addressing at a political rally, Prime Minister Khan had questioned whether Pakistan was a slave to western countries, that will comply with whatever they say.

“What do you think of us? Are we your slaves ... that whatever you say, we will do?” he had said.

Stressing that India had also abstained from voting, Prime Minister Khan had questioned whether such a letter was also written for India.

“I want to ask the European Union ambassadors: Did you write such a letter to India?” he had said.

He added that European countries had not condemned India for its actions in Kashmir, which Pakistan and India have fought two wars over.

Speaking further, Prime Minister Khan stressed Pakistan would remain “neutral” and work with those trying to end the war in Ukraine.

“We are friends with Russia, and we are also friends with America; we are friends with China and with Europe; we are not in any camp,” he had said.

Prime Minister Khan and his government found themselves in the hot seat after he went ahead with a visit to Moscow in late February as fears of an invasion were growing, and met Vladimir Putin a few hours after the Russian president had ordered his troops into Ukraine.

In defending the action, Prime Minister Khan has stressed that he was there to only discuss bilateral issues.

Prior to this, Pakistan has urged finding a diplomatic solution for the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine at an emergency sitting of the United Nations General Assembly regarding the conflict.