Prime Minister Imran Khan, in an interview aired on Monday, said that when PTI came into power Pakistan was facing a record current account deficit but "China has been a breath of fresh air" in this otherwise gloom and doom situation.

In an interview to Turkey’s news channel TRT World, the prime minister said though the country “was facing multiple crises including a weak economy and foreign debts, the [PTI] government will meet all these challenges with effective economic policies”.

He was of the view that Pakistan's economy has improved during the past four months. The premier praised China for its support, saying "they have been helpful to us in areas I can't even tell".

Also read: Can Imran Khan fix Pakistan's economy?

When asked whether doing business with China meant that Pakistan couldn't criticise Beijing "for what they're doing to the Uighurs" ─ a largely Muslim ethnic minority from China's Xinjiang region ─ the prime minister responded: "I do not know the exact situation of this," explaining that was unaware of the matter since he and his government had been busy "because of the intensity of issues" they faced as they came into power.

Read more: Inside China's Xinjiang internment camps: tear gas, Tasers and textbooks

Commenting on the current situation in India occupied Kashmir, Imran Khan said India was involved in committing human rights violations in the occupied region “but it will never succeed in suppressing the freedom movement of Kashmiris”.

“Pakistan wants [to hold] dialogue with India but New Delhi has refused Islamabad's offer several times,” the premier was quoted as saying.

To a question, the prime minister said Pakistan wants to maintain relations with the United States based on equality and “Pakistan is ready to become an ally of the USA for [achieving] durable peace in Afghanistan”.