Categories: World

Miffed with Johnson’s lollypop offer of only a cricket match, sulking Imran Khan decides to postpone UK visit

<p>
Prime Minister Imran Khan has decided to defer his visit to the United Kingdom scheduled  next month. On paper, the reason for staying put is disagreements over “agenda.” But Pakistani media dug out the real reason for Khan’s decision to work- from- home and not take the flight to London. The egoistic Khan was apparently miffed with Boris Johnson government’s chicken heartedness. The former captain, with stratospheric expectations of pageantry on his arrival at Heathrow, was apparently crestfallen after Johnson only to be with Khan during a Pakistan-England cricket match, and a ceremonial meeting in his honour.</p>
<p>
On June 7, PM Johnson had buzzed Khan on the phone and invited him to the UK.  Pakistani media said that during the chatty conversation between both prime ministers, each addressed to each other by their first names, ‘Imran’ and ‘Boris’. But something went  badly amiss after that.</p>
<p>
The government of Pakistan has said that Khan’s visit will not go ahead “due to internal security, political and regional situation.”  But the contrarian view posted on the website of The News website narrates an altogether different story. Apparently, Khan’s visit has been postponed because Pakistan wanted a UK-Pakistan partnership “road map for 10 years”, covering trade and defence–similar to the pact signed between the UK and India last month. Khan was apparently still living in a bubble, with aspirations of Britain’s hyphenated relationship with the two countries, even when India was invited to the G-7 high table and Pakistan is not even anywhere in the frame. Only the MI-6, the British foreign intelligence, is paying more attention to Pakistan than India, but that is for altogether different reasons, which need not be detailed here.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/853349-imran-postpones-uk-visit">Khan wanted his first visit to the UK</a> as the prime minister to be more “substantial” than symbolic and this was conveyed to the UK officials.</p>
<p>
A Pakistani source quoted by the daily said that Khan wanted to establish a “strategic partnership” with post-Brexit UK, focussing on people-to-people connections, climate action, health, trade, immigration and culture. “There is no purpose of the visit during the pandemic involving all the hassle if there are no group level discussions and no agreements signed,” the source quoted in the report said.</p>
<p>
Besides, Imran Khan’s friends and Pakistani government, through Pakistan High Commission London, wanted to hold a grand reception for PM Khan at the Wembley Stadium, apart from several meetings with the business community and the diaspora. But Covid restrictions in the UK meant that this was not possible. “We will wait for the UK to go to the final tier of relaxation and then plan the grand visit”.</p>

IN Bureau

Recent Posts

J-K: Amit Shah stresses govt’s unwavering support and technological upgrades to BSF

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday emphasized Border Security Force's relentless dedication, enduring extreme…

9 minutes ago

Crown Prince of Dubai’s visit to India to bolster India-UAE ties

At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Crown…

18 minutes ago

EAM Jaishankar, Fiji’s Health Minister Lalabalav discuss ongoing medical cooperation

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with Fiji's Minister for Health and Medical Services, Ratu…

5 hours ago

INS Tarkash undertakes Passex with New Zealand Navy in Gulf of Aden

Indian Navy's stealth frigate INS Tarkash participated in a Passex with the Royal New Zealand…

6 hours ago

Pakistan: BYC decries state crackdown on Baloch Long March

Leading Baloch human rights organisation, Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), extended its support for the Baloch…

7 hours ago

“Aarogyam Paramam Bhagyam”: PM Modi emphasises importance of healthy well-being on World Health Day

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emphasised the importance of healthy well-being on the occasion of…

7 hours ago