- US official defends Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu
- Washington refutes allegations of interference in Pakistani politics
- US reaffirms support for Pakistan and its people
A senior US official has publicly defended Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu nearly 15 months after his remarks — reported in a diplomatic cipher sent to Islamabad — caused outrage in Pakistan.
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Elizabeth Horst identified Mr. Lu and stated that the allegations against him were “categorically false” on Tuesday, in a rare display of candor.
“We have communicated this publicly and privately,” she said, referring to the numerous statements made by US officials declaring their neutrality in Pakistan’s volatile political climate.
Former prime minister Imran Khan blamed Mr. Lu for orchestrating the vote of no confidence that led to his removal in April of last year.
While the United States has previously refuted Mr. Khan’s allegations, they have never identified the high-ranking State Department official.
The forthright comments were made at a Houston conference on the future of Pakistan-US relations. The chief of the Pakistan bureau at the US Department of State, Ms. Horst, stated that Washington “does not favor one political candidate or party over another.”
She stated that her speech was an “opportunity to address disinformation” about the US’s role in Pakistani politics.
She added, “We do not allow propaganda, misinformation, or disinformation to interfere with any bilateral relationship, including our valued partnership with Pakistan.” We are willing to collaborate with any government elected by the Pakistani people.
She also added that the United States government supports “democratic principles, freedom of expression, and rule of law globally.”
According to Ms. Horst, “We are writing a new chapter in our history, with a focus on people, investment, the economy, the climate, and prosperity.”
Referring to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s message during the 75th diplomatic anniversary of US-Pakistan relations last year, she stated, “We will continue to stand by Pakistan [and] its people, today and in the days to come, because that’s what we’ve done for each other in both directions throughout much of our shared history.”
Masood Khan, the Pakistani ambassador to the United States, who also spoke at the event hosted by the International Academy of Letters, thanked the United States “for supporting the ratification of the $3 billion stand-by arrangement (SBA) between the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Pakistan.
