After Centre on Saturday slashed excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 8 and Rs 6 per litre respectively, former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan reacted with praises for India, applauding India’s decision to purchase Russian oil at a discounted rate without bowing down to US pressure.
Taking to Twitter, Khan said, “Despite being part of the Quad, India sustained pressure from the US and bought discounted Russian oil to provide relief to the masses.”
Further, he added that his PTI government in Pakistan was also working to achieve similar a feat. “This is what our govt was working to achieve with the help of an independent foreign policy,” and tore into the current Pakistan Muslim League (N)-led government for “running around like a headless chicken with the economy in a tailspin”.
Despite being part of the Quad, India sustained pressure from the US and bought discounted Russian oil to provide relief to the masses. This is what our govt was working to achieve with the help of an independent foreign policy.
1/2 pic.twitter.com/O7O8wFS8jn— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) May 21, 2022
“For our govt, Pakistan’s interest was supreme but unfortunately the local Mir Jafars & Mir Sadiqs bowed to external pressure forcing a regime change, and are now running around like a headless chicken with the economy in a tailspin,” he wrote on Twitter.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday announced on Twitter, “It (Excise duty cut) will have revenue implication of around Rs one lakh crore/year for the government.”
With the reduced excise tax, petrol will now cost Rs 95.91 per litre while diesel will cost Rs 89.67 per litre in Delhi from May 22.
In early April, at the time when the Khan-led government was collapsing, the star cricketer-turned-politician had praised India during his national address and said no superpower will attempt to create political turmoil in India.
“I commend India for always having and protecting its independent foriegn policy for national and public interest. I do not blame India for this because it is looking out for its best interest,” Imran Khan said, referring to India’s plans to buy Russian crude as the energy market suffers due to the ongoing war on Ukraine. “The US says India has an independent foriegn policy so they cannot censure them,” he said.
“A very powerful country got upset and angered over my trip to Russia. The opposition compromised Pakistan’s interest because their money is stacked in US banks,” Khan had said.
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