Donald Lu, the US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, has been in the news for the last two years for his alleged role in the regime change operation in Pakistan.
In the latest development, the US State Department has clarified the reports about Lu’s appearance before a Congress panel as part of a hearing on the recent Pakistan elections. The State Department has said that Lu’s March 20 appearance before a Congress panel is a routine testimony and it aligns with the regular practice of US officials providing updates to Congress.
According to reports, the House Subcommittee on the Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia will hold a hearing on March 20 that is titled “Pakistan After the Elections: Examining the Future of Democracy in Pakistan and the US-Pakistan Relationship”.
When asked about the scheduled hearing at a news briefing on Thursday, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said, “Any number of State Department officials testify all the time before Congress. We see it as an important part of our jobs to help Congress do its job, both from a policymaking perspective and from an oversight perspective.”
He added, “So we always look forward both to the informal conversations we have with Congress, the formal conversations, and of course the actual testimony that our officials provide.”
When asked if the department was concerned about Lu’s safety during the hearing due to previous threats, Miller said, “Of course, we take any threats towards US officials seriously and condemn any effort to threaten the safety and security of our diplomats.”
The spokesperson reiterated the rejection of allegations against Lu regarding the toppling of former prime minister Imran Khan’s government, saying, “The underlying allegations against Assistant Secretary Lu, they’re false. They’ve always been false. You’ve heard me say that more than once, more than twice, more than ten times probably.”
Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan and his party alleged that Lu threatened to destabilise the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led government during a March 2022 meeting with the then Pakistani ambassador in Washington, Asad Majeed Khan.
The PTI’s US chapter said in a statement from Houston, Texas, that “persistent efforts” by Pakistani Americans led to a Congressional hearing on the allegations levelled by Khan and his party.
Both Democratic and Republican legislators are expected to attend this bipartisan hearing in good numbers.
Donald Lu to appear at hearing on the future of democracy in Pakistan
