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’s Mahnoor Omer named among TIME’s ‘Women of the Year’ for 2026
- Omer moved a Pakistani court against the so-called ‘period tax’ in Sept. 2025 which has since sparked a national debate
- Taxes on sanitary pads in Pakistan can add up to 40 percent to retail price, UNICEF says only around 12 percent women use such products
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani women’s rights activist Mahnoor Omer, who fought against taxes on menstrual products, has been named among the TIME magazine’s ‘Women of the Year’ for 2026.
Omer’s efforts have been recognized alongside 16 activists, artists, athletes and businesswomen in the TIME’s Women of the Year 2026 list, including Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Chloe Zhao.
Dissatisfied with the efforts to educate Pakistani girls about sexual violence, Omer founded the Noor Foundation at the age of 14 and held her own workshops with village girls about everything from climate change to menstruation, according to the TIME magazine.
Two years later, a conversation with a domestic worker about the price of pads made her realize that not everyone could afford these essentials. She moved a court against the so-called “period tax” in Sept. 2025 and the case has sparked a national debate on the subject, considered a taboo by many in Pakistan, since its first hearing late last year.
“A decade and one law degree after her interest in activism was sparked, Omer, now 25, is putting her passion and expertise to work in the name of gender equity,” TIME wrote about Omer on its website.
Taxes imposed on sanitary products in Pakistan can add up to 40 percent to the retail price. UNICEF estimates just 12 percent of women in the country use commercially produced pads or tampons. The alternative, using cloth, risks health impacts including rashes and infections, and can make it impossible for girls to attend school while menstruating.
Omer’s suit, which awaits the government response, has sparked a national discussion. She says she spoke about menstruation to her father and male cousins, who thanked her for standing up for their daughters.
The 25-year-old, who is currently enrolled in a master’s degree in gender, peace, and security at the London School of Economics, sees this case as just the first of many.
“I’m not free until every woman is free,” she was quoted as saying by TIME. “I want to leave no stones unturned in terms of what I can do with the next few decades, as a lawyer for the women in my country and gender minorities in general.”
