ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has said he did not believe in military conflicts and hoped Russia and Ukraine would be able to resolve their differences “peacefully.”
The comments were broadcast on Tuesday in an interview with Russian broadcaster RT, one day ahead of a scheduled visit by Khan to Moscow on the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Khan will be the first Pakistani prime minister to visit Russia in 23 years.
On Monday, Putin ordered the deployment of troops to two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine after recognizing them as independent on Monday. Putin’s announcement drew US and European condemnation and vows of new sanctions.
With the 1991 break-up of the Soviet Union, Russia lost control of 14 former republics it had previously dominated, but the loss of Ukraine was the most painful. Ukraine is the second biggest country in Europe after Russia itself, has major ports on the Black Sea and shares borders with four NATO countries. It is a major exporter of corn and wheat. Europe depends on Russia for about one third of its natural gas — providing leverage for Putin in any dispute with the West — and one of the main pipelines passes through Ukraine.
Putin, who once called the break-up of the Soviet Union the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the last century, has devoted his presidency to restoring Moscow’s influence throughout the post-Soviet space, defying the West and trying to reassert Russia as a global power.
Keeping the world guessing about a possible invasion of Ukraine has forced Russia’s security demands to the top of the international agenda and compelled US President Joe Biden to re-engage with Putin, although it has also drawn Western warnings of drastic international sanctions.
“I am not a believer in military conflicts, I believe the civilized societies resolve their differences through dialogue,” Khan said. “I am hoping that this Ukraine crisis is resolved peacefully.”
When asked if, given Ukraine tensions, this was the right time to visit Russia, Khan said “This doesn’t concern us, we have a bilateral relationship with Russia and we really want to strengthen it.”
He also said Pakistan didn’t want to become a part of any bloc and wanted a trading relationship with all countries.
On Monday, Ukraine’s First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Emine Dzheppar tweeted that she had held a meeting with Pakistan’s Ambassador, retired Major Gen Noel Israel Khokhar, who had expressed support for her country’s sovereignty.
“Grateful to Pakistan for supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Dzheppar said on Twitter.
Ahead of Moscow visit, PM Khan says hopes Ukraine crisis ‘resolved peacefully’
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Ahead of Moscow visit, PM Khan says hopes Ukraine crisis ‘resolved peacefully’
- Says not a believer in military conflicts, believes “civilized societies” resolve differences through dialogue
- Despite Ukraine crisis, Khan said Pakistan wanted to strengthen its bilateral, trade relationship with Russia
Pakistan raises India's suspension of water-sharing treaty with UNGA president, seeks action
- New Delhi said in April last year it was holding the treaty in abeyance after a gun attack in Indian-administered Kashmir
- Official says such actions threaten lives of 240 million Pakistanis, particularly at a time of climate stress, water scarcity
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has taken up India’s suspension of a decades-old water-sharing treaty with the president of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), urging action over the move that Islamabad said sets "dangerous precedents."
The Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) divides control of the Indus basin rivers between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. India said in April last year it would hold the treaty “in abeyance” after a gun attack in Indian-administered Kashmir killed more than 26 tourists. New Delhi blamed the assault on Pakistan, Islamabad denied it.
The attack led to a four-day military conflict between the neighbors last May that say them attack each other with fighter jets, missiles, drones and artillery before the United States-brokered a ceasefire. Tensions have remained high between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
During a meeting on the sidelines of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) annual hearing, Pakistan Senate Chairman Yusuf Raza Gilani told UNGA President Annalena Baerbock that India's unlawful action constituted a blatant violation of the treaty’s provisions and principles of customary international law.
"Such actions threaten the lives and livelihoods of over 240 million Pakistanis and set dangerous precedents, particularly at a time when climate stress and water scarcity demand cooperation and strict respect for international agreements," he was quoted as saying by the Pakistani information ministry.
The treaty, mediated by the World Bank, grants Pakistan rights to the Indus basin’s western rivers — Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab — for irrigation, drinking, and non-consumptive uses like hydropower, while India controls the eastern rivers — Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej — for unrestricted use but must not significantly alter their flow.
Highlighting the adverse impacts of climate change, Gilani said countries like Pakistan remain among the most severely affected and underscored the urgency of collective action, climate justice and strengthened international cooperation.
"The United Nations provides an indispensable platform for addressing these interconnected challenges," he said at the meeting.
Gilani, who was leading a six-member parliamentary delegation, this week delivered the national statement at the IPU annual hearing at the UN headquarters, calling for democratic, transparent, and accountable decision-making in order to enhance the UN’s credibility, according to the Senate of Pakistan.
“Parliaments are indispensable partners in ensuring national ownership of international commitments,” he was quoted as saying by the Senate. “Reform is essential. But it must be ‘Reform for All, Privilege for None’.”
The Senate chairman highlighted the continuing importance of the United Nations as the cornerstone of multilateral cooperation, stressing that the organization’s universal membership and Charter-based mandate remain central to promoting global peace and security.
