The US restated its determination not to let “misinformation” and “propaganda” stymie bilateral relations with Pakistan, and insisted that former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s assertions that Washington was plotting to destabilize his administration were false.
When asked about the PTI chief’s apparent “backtracking” on the allegations, US State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said, “As we’ve previously stated, there is not and has never been a reality to these allegations, but I don’t have anything else to share.”
Imran has accused the US and the ruling administration in Islamabad of attempting to destabilize his government ever since he was deposed by a no-confidence vote in April, the first time in Pakistan’s history.
In a recent interview with the Financial Times, he stated that he no longer “blamed” the US administration for his removal and wished for a “dignified” cooperation between Washington and Islamabad.
Concerning the alleged US involvement in the conspiracy, he stated, “As far as I’m concerned, it’s over, it’s behind me.”
Opponents misconstrued his comments as a retraction of his claims, but Imran and the PTI leadership claimed that his words had been misread and taken out of context.
When reached for comment on the matter on Wednesday, Vedant said, “The US enjoys our long-standing relationship with Pakistan and has always considered a wealthy and democratic Pakistan as critical to US interests.”
“That remains the situation.”
Furthermore, he stated unequivocally that the United States does not “take a position on one political candidate of a party against another.”
“We call for the peaceful upholding of democratic, legal, and constitutional ideals.” Finally, we will not allow propaganda, incorrect information, or disinformation to harm any bilateral relationship, especially one with our valued partner Pakistan.
“As we’ve already indicated, there hasn’t—there isn’t—and there has never been a truth to these allegations, but I don’t have anything else to share,” Vendant replied when asked for more information.
Then it was pointed out to him that Imran had dubbed his travel to Russia on the eve of Moscow’s launch of an operation against Ukraine “embarrassing” in a Financial Times interview.
The timing of the visit last year was questioned, but the PTI administration in power at the time defended it as part of a shift in policy toward geoeconomics.
Imran said to the Financial Times that the visit was arranged months in advance.
“I really don’t have anything else to comment on foreign minister—or former prime minister Khan’s statements on that,” Vedant added.
“I don’t have any specific meetings or calls to read out,” Vendant said in response to “rumors” that PTI leadership had spoken with the US ambassador in Islamabad.
Imran rejects the notion of a conspiracy to bring about regime change.
In a late-Wednesday interview with France 24, Imran claimed that he never changed his mind about the suspicions of a foreign conspiracy behind his removal in April.
According to Imran, US diplomat Donald Lu informed Pakistan’s ambassador in Washington that if he was not removed from power through a no-confidence vote, according to the cipher, the document on which the PTI has built its US-backed regime change narrative.
After a motion of no confidence is delivered the following day, the administration is ousted. The reality is, I really stated that it was behind me. I should not let the fact that the United States deposed my government get in the way of doing what is best for Pakistan’s inhabitants.
He argued that having good relations with the US will benefit Pakistan.
So that’s exactly what I said. I never looked back on this. The cipher is genuine. It was put in front of the cabinet. We asked the chief justice to conduct an impartial investigation, which he is currently undertaking.
As a result, there was no way to change course.
