Pakistani PM Imran Khan berates the west – while enjoying its generosity

If our many years spent cultivating and helping the developing world means anything, now is the time for it to bear fruit, writes Salma Shah

Imran Khan risks overplaying his hand against nations that spend huge amounts on aid programmes to sustain economic stability (Reuters)

At the UN General Assembly this week, the Pakistani prime minister, Imran Khan, slammed western diplomats for pressuring countries to condemn Putin’s invasion. With the UAE, China and India, Pakistan abstained from the vote on Russian action and berated those who criticised the move, saying: “What do you think of us? Are we your slaves... that whatever you say, we will do?”

Pakistan might come to regret its ostentatious positioning. While pleading neutrality, it is simultaneously airing old grievances about its suffering because of its support for Nato in Afghanistan. They risk overplaying their hand against nations that spend huge amounts on aid programmes to sustain economic stability, among other things, lifting people out of grinding poverty through millions of pounds of investment.

In times of crisis, western powers should be more muscular about the political pressure they can apply to those who enjoy the generosity of other nations but fail to acknowledge the quid pro quo. They also have an obligation to us. The UK and US, until recently, occupied the top two spots for bilateral aid support to Pakistan.