Pakistan stays out of UN debate, seen as getting closer to China and Russia

New Delhi, March 2 (IANS) Pakistan allowed its turn to pass as the UN General Assembly on Tuesday continued to debate a resolution demanding immediate withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine, Dawn reported.Pakistan, which is trying not to take sides on this issue, stayed away from both sessions. As a UN member, Pakistan can participate in the UNGA debate, which entered its second day on Tuesday, but so far it has avoided doing so.Indications are that Pakistan wants to avoid getting involved in the dispute which places it in an uncomfortable position. Pakistan is a traditional US ally, which once provided Washington a corridor to reach out to China, the report said.China is Pakistan's closest ally which supports Islamabad on key issues on various international fora, such as the United Nations and the FATF.Diplomatic observers in Washington claim that China also played a key role in arranging Pak Prime Minister Imran Khan's visit to Russia last week. The observers argue that Pakistan is gradually orbiting out of the American influence and getting closer to both China and Russia, a claim Islamabad rejects as incorrect.Pakistan says it wants to maintain close ties with both China and the United States and apparently that's why it does not want to get involved in the Ukrainian dispute, Dawn reported.
--IANS san/skp/

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