US Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu once again refuted the claims made by former prime minister Imran Khan that the US played a role in orchestrating his removal from power by supporting the opposition’s no-confidence motion in April 2022.
During his testimony before a Congressional panel on Wednesday, the senior US diplomat unequivocally stated, “I want to emphasize that this conspiracy theory is entirely false and baseless.”
The hearing, titled ‘Pakistan After the Elections: Assessing the Future of Democracy in Pakistan and the US-Pakistan Relationship,’ was convened by the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee, with the assistant secretary serving as the primary witness.
Responding to inquiries regarding the allegations made by Imran Khan and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the US assistant secretary mentioned that he had reviewed media reports surrounding the alleged leaked communication that Khan claimed contained threats from Lu during a meeting with then-Pakistan’s ambassador Asad Majeed in Washington in 2022, shortly before the PTI-led government was ousted.
In his response, Lu emphasized, “I want to make it abundantly clear. These allegations, this conspiracy theory, are false. They are entirely untrue. I have examined the media coverage related to this issue, specifically the so-called cipher in Pakistan, which refers to the alleged leaked diplomatic cable from the embassy here.”
“It is inaccurate. Nowhere does it implicate the US government or myself personally in any actions against Imran Khan. Additionally, the other individual present in the meeting, the former ambassador of Pakistan to the US, has affirmed to his own government that there was no conspiracy.”
Additionally, the US diplomat noted that Pakistan’s ambassador to Washington at the time, Asad Majeed, affirmed to his government that there was no conspiracy.
“We uphold Pakistan’s sovereignty and the fundamental principle that the Pakistani people should have the exclusive right to choose their leader through democratic means,” he stated.
Amid Lu’s response, disruptions arose from an attendee who labeled him a “liar,” accompanied by chants of “Free Imran Khan.”
Lu reiterated that the US respected Pakistan’s sovereignty and upheld the principle of the Pakistani people electing their leaders through democratic means. However, his remarks were met with vehement objections from hecklers, who continued to denounce him as a “liar.”
