Russia has said that the United State is shamelessly interfering in Pakistan’s internal affairs and trying to oust Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government, the TASS Russian News Agency reported.
In a statement, the Official Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Russian Federation Maria Zakharova said that the dissolution of the National Assembly (Lower House of Parliament) of Pakistan testifies to another attempt of shameless US interference in the internal affairs of an Independent State for its own selfish purposes.
Maria Zakharova pointed out that the recent decision of Pakistani President Dr. Arif Alvi regarding the recommendation of Prime Minister Imran Khan to dissolve the National Assembly was preceded by a visit by the Prime Minister to Russia, before which “the Americans and their Western associates exerted rude pressure on the Prime Minister, demanding an ultimatum to cancel trip.”
“The further development of the situation leaves no doubt that the United States decided to punish the ‘disobedient’ Imran Khan: a group of MPs from the same party of the Prime Minister ‘suddenly’ went over to the opposition, and the question of a vote of no confidence in the head of government was immediately submitted to the Parliament, the vote on which was scheduled on April 3,” the diplomat noted.
“There is another attempt of shameless US interference in the internal affairs of an independent state for its own selfish purposes. The above facts eloquently testify to this. The Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan himself has repeatedly stated that the conspiracy against him was inspired and financed from abroad.”
Zakharova recalled that when Imran Khan visited the Russian Capital, the US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu called the Pakistan ambassador to Washington and demanded that the visit be immediately “interrupted, which was also rejected.”
“According to the Pakistani media, on March 7, in a conversation with the Pakistani ambassador, a high-ranking American official (presumably the same Lu) sharply condemned the balanced reaction of the Pakistani leadership to the events in Ukraine and made it clear that partnership with the United States is possible only if Imran Khan is removed from power,” she stressed.
As the diplomat noted, the Russian side expects that the Pakistani voters “will be informed about these circumstances when they come to the elections, which should be held within 90 days after the dissolution of the National Assembly”.