Russia has offered to provide wheat to Pakistan, besides gas, owing to the projection of food shortage in the country against the backdrop of floods driven by heavy rains.

“Russia has said that it can provide us wheat because in the coming days as we may have shortages […],” Federal Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said at a press conference in Islamabad on Saturday.

Asif was part of the delegation that was led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

PM Shehbaz had met with regional leaders during the summit, including Russian President Vladimir Putin. Kremlin had said that pipeline gas supplies to Pakistan were possible, and that part of the necessary infrastructure is already in place.

Read more: Pakistan’s gas reserve depleting at 10% per annum: Musadik Malik

The two leaders also expressed commitment to boost cooperation between their countries across all areas of mutual benefit, including food security, trade and investment, energy, defence, and security.

Asif confirmed the development. “They have said that they can give us gas. Russia said that they have gas pipelines in Central Asian countries and the pipelines could be extended to Pakistan via Afghanistan. These talks have taken place.”

The defence minister said President Putin also invited PM Shehbaz to visit Russia, the official dates for which would be revealed soon. He claimed that President Putin also appreciated Pakistan’s position on the Russia-Ukraine war in the United Nations and internationally.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has also invited PM Shehbaz and the trip was expected in the first week of November.

Asif added that PM Shehbaz was leaving for the UK today (Saturday) to take part in the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, set to take place on September 19, after which he will go to New York to attend the UN General Assembly meeting.

COAS appointment

Asif while responding to a query reiterated that the policy regarding the army chief’s appointment, which is due in November this year, was clear in the Constitution. “Nawaz Sharif has fulfilled this political responsibility four times and Shehbaz will do the same in November.”

He blamed PTI chief Imran Khan for bringing the matter into the limelight “in a way that had never happened before in the country’s history”.

“He [Imran] just wants to make the army chief’s appointment controversial,” Asif said, adding that no one had any doubt about the loyalty of the head of the army to the Constitution and the institutions.

“Politics is separate but institutions should not be made controversial.”