Teammates defend flip-flop on trade with India; say PM, Commerce Minister Imran ‘wear different hats’

Teammates of Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan have defended his move to defer cotton and sugar trade plans with India as the PM after approving the same as the commerce minister earlier.

Defending the move, National Security Adviser (NSA) Dr Moeed Yusuf said that the premier wear two hats as both the commerce minister and the chief executive of the country.

Imran Khan, the minister in-charge of commerce and trade, approved the trade with India. Later, he opposed his own proposal as the prime minister.

"He may be the same person but he wears two different hats in this case," says his NSA Moeed Yousuf.pic.twitter.com/EipZoUFKiI

— Roohan Ahmed (@Roohan_Ahmed) April 2, 2021

When asked if Imran, as the commerce minister, believed the proposal should be forwarded to the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) for approval, but differed on his own idea as the PM, the NSA didn’t respond.

“I am not the bureaucrat here to determine the technicalities,” he said, adding that it was just irrelevant.

Federal Minister Fawad Chaudhry also went for a similar choice of words, saying that the premier “wore two hats”.

“As the PM chairing the federal cabinet meeting he also has to take into account the recommendations of other stakeholders, including the foreign, defence and interior ministries,” the minister maintained.

The statements come days after the federal cabinet rubbished plans to resume cotton and white sugar import from India despite Commerce Minister Imran Khan’s proposal approved by ECC headed by Finance Minister Hammad Azhar.

The federal cabinet chaired by PM Imran deferred the proposal despite improving Pakistan-India ties, saying New Delhi should first restore the autonomous status of the troubled disputed valley of Kashmir.