Snubbed during China trip, now Imran on visit to Russia

 
New Delhi 

Imran Khan has become the first Pakistani prime minister to visit Russia in 23 years.  

Imran Khan is that breed of politicians who seldom learn anything from past experiences and mistakes. There are fewer 'corrective steps' in their logic and actions and yet there will be
some admirers always.    

There are a few Indian versions of netas of that variety certainly.
Imran had rushed to China during Winter Olympics to establish and strengthen 'iron brother' friendship with Beijing.
Instead there was a sort of snub. Even Pakistani observers say there was a real "chilly reception" 
accorded to onetime cricket hero in Beijing.
He was received by Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Wu Jianghao and this certainly
was "degrees below the protocol extended to his predecessors", says Pakistani author and expert
F.S. Aijazuddin.
Now, the Pak PM has decided to make a trip to Moscow.
Of course, the "timing of this visit is fraught with implications" and the Ukraine crisis is at its peak.
"....Russia has confronted the US and NATO over Ukraine. The PM, before leaving for Moscow, tried to 
allay the suspicions of our ‘with us or against us?’ Western allies by insisting that we are not part of any bloc. 
Seventy-five years of alignment belies this assertion. We do belong to a bloc — of debtor nations whose 
economies are governed by US dictates," said Aijazuddin in a newspaper article.
This trip to Russia is as if on the "rebo­u­­­­­nd" after China flip-flop.
This is the same Putin who 10 years ago "cancelled his own trip to Islam­abad citing the insecurity" caused by 
Imran's party PTI’s container dharnas. 
In a rather sarcastic remark, the article says - Imran is like "like other leaders whenever wobbly at home 
(eg Nixon/ de Gaulle/ Thatcher), believes that he has a higher role to play on the international stage".
Little does the Pakistan Prime Minister realise that in the comity of nations, his country's position has made
a nosedive and even US President Joe Biden is yet to speak to him over phone.
Meanwhile, experts caution that any 'escalation' in the Ukraine-Russia crisis can also impact 
Pakistan’s food security.
Ukraine has emerged as a major market for wheat import for Pakistan. 
In 2020-21, Pakistan imported nearly 1.2 million tonnes of wheat from Ukraine.
It is being argued in certain quarters that Imran, who has been itching for a long time to travel to 
Russia to shore up Pakistan’s weakening geopolitical position in relation to India and refurbish 
his domestic credentials as a global leader, is unlikely to complain about Russia’s new offensive against Ukraine.
That, too, is part of a shift in Islamabad's standpoint. 
In recent years, there has been growing warmth between Pakistan and Ukraine, which Islamabad 
has courted as a counterweight to New Delhi’s traditional ties with Moscow. 
At the same time, Pakistan wants to develop a more productive engagement with Russia. 
One reason is Russia with all its regional and global clout is a 'much bigger' strategic prize for Pakistan 
than Ukraine. 
But India-Russia bond has been reestablished in recent times in more ways than one. 
 
ends 

x