What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
Even as Pakistan is going through an unprecedented economic crash resulting in prices of essential commodities hitting the roof and people risking stampede to access subsidised food packets, the country continues to supply lethal weapons to aid Ukraine in its war against Russia. Pakistan Rupee has hit a record low of 271.36 against the US dollar. Foreign reserves have dropped to just $3.09 billion.
Pakistan is the only Asian country to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine against Russia. The countries that are supplying lethal weapons to Ukraine are the US, Canada, UK, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Morocco, Belgium, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Turkey, Poland, Germany among others.
Yet, oblivious of the crashing economy and the enormous cost its people are paying for its wanton military over-expenditure, last month Pakistan reportedly dispatched 159 containers of ammunition including projectiles and primers to Ukraine via a port in Poland. As per an Indian publication, vessel named BBC Vesuvius carried 155 mm projectiles, M4A2 propelling bag charges, M82 primers and PDM fuses. Earlier, Pakistan, the only Asian country to provide military supply to Ukraine played a key role in transfer of arms on behalf of the UK to Ukraine.
Recently, people in Pakistan were seen chasing a wheat truck, risking their lives just to get hold of a sack of wheat. Professor Sajjad Raja, chairman of National Equality Party Jammu Kashmir Gilgit Baltistan and Ladakh (JKGBL) brought the videos to the notice of the world. He wrote in his tweet, “This is not a motorcycle rally, but people in Pakistan are chasing a truck loaded with flour, in the hope that they will buy just one packet of flour. Do we have any future in Pakistan? This video is just a glimpse of what is happening in Pakistan.” Flour prices have seen steady rise in the country.
The Pakistani government has failed to provide its citizens with even basic amenities like cooking gas and power supply in the past few weeks. Visuals of Pakistani citizens carrying gas in plastic balloons went viral and shocked the world. Simultaneously, it is also facing a power crisis. Last week, a large portion of Pakistan, from the capital Islamabad in the north to Karachi in the south was left without electricity due to a grid failure. It was encountering its second power outage in three months.
The country is headed towards an oil crisis. Pakistan heavily depends on imports for its oil supply. However, due to the balance of payment crisis and the plummeting Pakistani rupee against dollar, import prices have gone up. As per reports, banks have refused to finance and facilitate payments for imports due to its depleting foreign exchange reserves.
India on its part has maintained full neutrality and stood for resolution of the conflict between the two countries through peaceful dialogue. It has refrained from taking sides, or providing any military aid to either of the countries. India has played an active role in providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine and neighbouring countries ensuring food and power security in the strife-torn region. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar assured Ukraine of continued humanitarian aid when had a meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on the sideline of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September.
Recently, President of the General Assembly Csaba Kőrösi who was on a 3-day trip to India, hailed the Narendra Modi government’s peacekeeping missions with the UN and its role in tackling matters related to Ukraine-Russia conflict.
