WASHINGTON: The US State Department reiterated its position on Sunday that allegations that Washington was involved in a plot to overthrow the PTI government are false.
On Sunday, media outlets reported that Abdullah Riar, the overseas secretary for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, had asked Donald Lu, the US assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian affairs, to forget the past and move forward.
In March, while he was still in office, former prime minister Imran Khan claimed that the opposition’s vote of no confidence against him was the result of a “foreign conspiracy” due to his foreign policy and that funds were funneled from abroad to oust him.
Later, PTI leaders told journalists that they based their claim on a cable sent to Islamabad on March 7 by the former Pakistani ambassador in Washington that detailed the conspiracy. The cable detailed the meeting between Ambassador Asad Majeed Khan and Mr. Lu at the Pakistan Embassy.
The conversation mentioned in the cable occurred at the outgoing ambassador’s farewell lunch, and the cable did not mention a conspiracy. Mr. Lu did convey the ‘unhappiness’ of the Biden administration regarding the former prime minister’s visit to Moscow on the day Russia invaded Ukraine.
Mr. Lu added that this “unhappiness” would persist as long as Imran Khan remained in office. During the lengthy conversation, Mr. Lu also inquired about the no-confidence vote against the PTI government, which was prominently featured in the media.
A spokesperson stated, “As a matter of policy, we do not comment on private diplomatic meetings.”
The spokesperson stated, “As we have stated before, there is no truth to these allegations” in response to Imran Khan’s claim that the United States was involved in his ouster.
PTI sources in the United States declined to comment on the alleged contact, and Mr. Riar did not return calls or respond to messages.
