ISLAMABAD – US Ambassador Donald Blome reportedly held a surprise meeting with the former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in the Adiala Jail, where the latter is detained on judicial remand in the cipher case.
The US embassy has not officially confirmed the meeting but it comes as Ambassador Blome called on various political leaders ahead of general elections in Pakistan.
The meetings were confirmed by US Embassy spokesperson Jonathan Lalley in a statement.
“In the course of his engagements with a broad range of Pakistani political actors, US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald A. Blome met in Multan with representatives of various political parties at a gathering hosted by former prime minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, and in Lahore with former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) founder Jahangir Khan Tareen,” Lalley said.
“They discussed the importance of free, fair elections and the right of the Pakistani people to choose their future leaders. They also discussed the strengths of the US-Pakistan trade and investment relationship and the development of the US-Pakistan ‘Green Alliance’ framework.”
After no official information about Blome-Imran meeting from the mission office, a journalist raised the question during a routine press briefing by US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, who however stayed away from reacting on it.
Miller said, “So I would – I would refer you to the embassy to – to comment on any meetings the ambassador has had. But as we have said a number of times, we do not take position – a position on candidates for political office in Pakistan or any other country”.
Meanwhile, PTI chief’s sister Aleema Khan has rejected the reports of any meeting between Imran Khan and US officials in the jail.
US ambassador calls on Nawaz Sharif to discuss elections, economy
