Pakistan PM Imran Khan to continue Moscow visit as scheduled: Minister

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan will continue his two-day visit to Moscow and will return to Pakistan later Thursday, the country's Minister for information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry said in a tweet.

A photo shared on the minister's “updates” account showed Khan in Moscow earlier in the day.

An earlier report by the Associated Press said Khan would be ending his two-day visit to Moscow hours after Russia began a military operation in Ukraine.

The visit was planned more than a month ago and was expected to focus on Pakistan’s energy needs. It was the first visit to Moscow by a Pakistani leader in more than 20 years.

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Khan was to have met with Russian President Vladimir Putin following his arrival on Wednesday, though the foreign ministry has not spoken of it. Khan’s decision to still go ahead with the visit despite a growing fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine surprised some analysts.

In recent years Pakistan has grown closer to Russia, which has traditional ties with Islamabad’s long-time foe and neighbor India.

Russia and Pakistan have shared military exercises and grown closer as peace was sought to the relentless conflict in Afghanistan.

With The Associated Press

Read more: Russia’s Putin announces military operation in Ukraine