Minister of State for Petroleum Musadik Malik on Thursday said the government negotiated with Russia to purchase crude petroleum products, adding that Moscow had even expressed its desire to sell out its petroleum products to Pakistan at cheaper rates compared to the international market.
Talking to a private news channel, the state minister said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan made “hollow claims” that his government was going to buy cheap Russian oil. On the contrary, he said, there was no formal agreement signed when the former PM visited Russia, earlier this year.
Read This
Sanctioned Russia becomes China’s main source of oil
Govt to raise domestic edible oil production to 4.8m tons in 10 years
The state minister said the allied government was much concerned about the rising inflation, adding that efforts were being made to relieve the masses.
To a question, Musadik said the government was not running away from calling the general elections. But first, he said, the incumbent government wanted to put the country’s economy on the right track and would then contest elections after completing the constitutional term.
The state minister maintained that after receiving the petroleum crude oil products from Russia, the inflation would decrease.
