Petrol price cut: Imran Khan praises India again, says they 'sustained pressure' from US and bought discounted Russian oil

"Despite being part of the Quad, India sustained pressure from the US and bought discounted Russian oil to provide relief to the masses," the former Pakistan Prime Minister said after India reduced petrol and diesel prices.

New Delhi: As India on Saturday (May 21, 2022) cut excise duty on petrol and diesel, former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan lauded the country for not caving in to the "US pressure" and buying the discounted oil from Russia. The recently-ousted Pakistan PM said that his government was also "working on the same thing" with the help of an independent foreign policy. 

He also hit out at the Shehbaz Sharif-led Pakistan 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," Imran Khan said after India announced a cut in excise duty on petrol and diesel.

"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 added.

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.
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— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) May 21, 2022

In India, the Narendra Modi-led government cut excise duty on petrol by a record Rs 8 per litre and that on diesel by Rs 6 per litre. The excise duty cut translated into a reduction of Rs 9.5 a litre on petrol and Rs 7 a litre in diesel after taking into account its impact on other levies.

It is always people first for us!

Today’s decisions, especially the one relating to a significant drop in petrol and diesel prices will positively impact various sectors, provide relief to our citizens and further ‘Ease of Living.’ https://t.co/n0y5kiiJOh — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 21, 2022

Earlier in April as well, Imran Khan had praised India and had said that Pakistan should learn from its neighbour.

"Pakistan should learn from India, it has self-respect. No foreign power can dictate terms to India," Imran Khan had said and had added that no superpower could raise a word even when India refused to take sides in the Russia-Ukraine war.

"Indians have tremendous self-respect. No one can dictate them, no once can pressurise or hamper their foreign policies," the cricketer-turned-politician had said in his address to the nation ahead of the no-trust motion against him. 

(With agency inputs)