America had conspired against him after agreement with Russia, ex-PM Imran Khan claims

Lahore () Imran Khan has said that he rejected US pressure to condemn Moscow during its operation in Ukraine. Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was arrested last month on corruption charges, has claimed in a wide-ranging interview that the United States put diplomatic pressure on him to remove him from office last year.

Speaking to the American publication, Khan said that he visited Russia on the same day that Moscow launched its military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. While he disagreed with the motivations behind the attack, he refused calls to condemn the action, so as not to jeopardize the trade deal.

Khan said the U.S. "wanted us, through the United Nations, to condemn Russia," explaining that his government had signed a deal to import "cheap oil" and wheat from Moscow. "If we condemn them now, how will that affect our population?"

Khan added that, following a meeting between Pakistani and US diplomats in early March 2022, he was told that unless he was removed as prime minister, there would be "other consequences". .

The allegations against Khan have fueled an already dangerous political balance in Islamabad, as the country of 231 million people grapples with rising food prices, an extended economic crisis and extremist violence. Talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on an economic bailout are also stalled amid political grudges.