Pakistan’s embattled Prime Minister Imran Khan once again praised India’s “independent foreign policy” that keeps the interests of its people at the centre, and said the world respects the Indian passport. 

“They protect their independent foreign policy which is centered on its people,” Khan, who is facing a no-confidence motion against his government, said on Friday in his speech at Islamabad Security Dialogue in the capital. This is the second time in recent days he hailed New Delhi’s “independent” foreign policy. 

“Today, I read the British foreign secretary’s statement that they can’t say anything to India as it has an independent foreign policy. I don’t blame them [West] for this support, but what are we then?” he asked while laying the blame on past governments. 

“This is our mistake. No country is respected unless it stands on its own two feet,” he said. 

Later in the day, he reiterated his praise for Indian policy in an interview with a private news channel. 

“Today, because of India’s independent foreign policy, you can see, what respect does the Indian passport command and what respect does the Pakistan passport command,” Khan said in an interview to ARY news. 

Significantly, without naming the US, he said a powerful country, an ally of India, was angered by his Moscow visit. A day earlier, the Pakistan government summoned the US envoy and lodged a “strong protest” for the alleged “threat letter”, which they claim, is a “foreign conspiracy” to change his government. 

Significantly, in his public speech on Thursday, Khan inadvertently named the United States but retracted it moments later. Later, the US Department of State denied the the Prime Minister's charges. 

(SAM)