- March 21, 2024
- Kainat Shakeel
- 0
The claim made by former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan that the US was complicit in his removal from office was denied by US Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu on Wednesday. Claiming that the US was behind the April 2022 motion of no confidence against Imran and that Lu had sent a telegram urging for the then-prime minister’s removal, the cricketer-turned-politician was refuted by Lu with the words “complete falsehood.”
This happened as Donald Lu gave a testimony on Wednesday to a panel of Congressmen. His testimony was crucial in the hearing organized by the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee, entitled “Pakistan after the Elections: Examining the Future of Democracy in Pakistan and the US-Pakistan Relationship.” According to Lu, the United States upholds Pakistan’s sovereignty and the democratic concept that allows the country to elect its leaders. When some hecklers in the room heard this statement, they responded, “Liar.”
Even though Imran Khan is presently serving a prison sentence at Adial Jail, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed independents surprised their political rivals by winning a significant number of seats in Punjab, Pakistan’s largest province, and forming a provincial government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In numerous cases, including the Cypher case, the former prime minister received lengthy prison sentences. Sections 5 and 9 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923 were used to file a complaint against Imran and his close ally and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi respectively. It had to do with the purported “misuse” of diplomatic cipher materials, which former Premier Imran used as evidence of attempts to overthrow his administration.
Donald Lu referred to Imran’s claims as “conspiracy theory, lie, and complete falsehood” during the hearing on Wednesday. Chants of “free Imran Khan” were audible during the hearing.
Lu argued that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) ought to carry out its constitutional mandate by resolving the purported irregularities in the country’s election process. “Everyone will be closely observing this process,” he declared. As Pakistan’s ally, we have demanded that it be carried out completely and transparently and that anybody found to be in charge of any anomalies be held accountable. The procedure via which something is occurring is visible.
When questioned about the handling of those who were purportedly participating in the May 9 events in Pakistan, Lu stated that the United States has voiced its concerns on the use of military courts and the widespread detentions that followed the May 9 riots.