A day after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said he is was paying the price for adhering to an independent foreign policy, he disclosed that he was threatened with “dire consequences” by a foreign power for making a trip to Russia late February, according to The Express Tribune.

PTI adds that Khan added a "powerful country", which is supporting India, is angry with Pakistan because of his recent visit to Russia to meet President Vladimir Putin.

Pakistan's Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Friday had also claimed that a plot to assassinate Prime Minister Imran Khan has been reported by the country's security agencies, ahead of Sunday's no-trust motion against the premier. Khan's security has been beefed up as per the government's decision after these reports, the Dawn newspaper quoted Chaudhry as saying.

His statement came a week after similar claims were made by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Faisal Vawda who had said that a conspiracy was being hatched to assassinate Khan over his refusal to "sell the country".

“How can a country can interfere in the affairs of an independent state,” Khan wondered at the Islamabad Security Dialogue. “But (we cannot) not blame them, as it is our fault because we gave them this impression,” he added.

And he elaborted that in the context of the general buzz that Pakistan could not upset the US, India following an an independent foreign policy was buying oil from Russia. “The US says it cannot say anything to India due to its independent foreign policy,” Imran said, adding that despite being a US ally, India was fostering ties with Russia.

He added the US felt India was a sovereign state, so “what are we then”. According to Khan, the absence of an independent foreign policy signified that people’s interests could not be protected.

Pakistan could not reach its peak because of its ‘dependency syndrome’, he said.

“A country without an independent foreign policy remains unable to secure the interests of its people,” he added.

Lambasting previous governments to join external wars on terror, the prime minister said "a nation could not progress if it remained dependent on foreign aid".

“These decisions, that incurred major damage to Pakistan, were made for the sake of dollars,” he said.

Khan also lamented that no independent evaluation was made to gauge the damage afflicted on Pakistani society, saying “the elite filled up their bank accounts at the cost of the nation”.