Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan (AP file photo)
A secret high-level Pakistani diplomatic cable has emerged, strongly pointing to an alleged US-backed plot to overthrow the Imran Khan-led government in Islamabad, according to a Drop Site news report.The secret diplomatic code, dated March 7, 2022, is cited as evidence of alleged American involvement in the political unrest that ultimately led to Khan’s ouster.This development has drawn renewed attention at a time when relations between Pakistan and the United States are once again under focus amid Islamabad’s alleged attempts to mediate between Washington and Iran over the ongoing regional crisis.However, these efforts have faced repeated obstacles, as both Donald Trump and the Iranian leadership have remained steadfast in their positions.Pakistan is currently ruled by Shehbaz Sharif, who belongs to Imran Khan’s rival camp, while the country’s powerful military establishment is headed by Army Chief Asim Munir, who is also seen to be at odds with Khan.The then Pakistani envoy in Washington, Asad Majeed Khan, reportedly sent the telegram, bearing number I-0678, to Islamabad after a lunch meeting with US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu.
According to the document, Lu expressed concerns about Imran Khan’s foreign policy stance, especially regarding the Russia-Ukraine war.“People here are very concerned about why Pakistan is taking such an aggressively neutral stance on Ukraine,” Lu said, according to the cable. “If such a stance is possible, then this stance does not seem neutral to us.”The document also notes that Low indicated that Washington’s concerns could be allayed if Khan is removed through a vote of no confidence in Parliament.“I believe that if the vote of no confidence in the prime minister is successful, everything will be tolerated in Washington, because the visit to Russia is seen as a decision of the prime minister,” Lu said, according to the cable.“Otherwise, I think it will be difficult to move forward.”These statements were interpreted as clear evidence of anti-Imran sentiment within Washington due to his perceived closeness to Vladimir Putin and Russia.In his own assessment attached to the cable, Ambassador Asad Majeed Khan reportedly wrote that Lu “could not have conveyed such a strong approach without explicit approval from the White House” and that he “spoke indirectly about Pakistan’s internal political process.”The cable was marked “secret” and “no distribution” and was reportedly shared with Pakistan’s top civilian and military leadership, including the Prime Minister’s Office, the Foreign Minister, the Army Chief, and the ISI leadership.Khan was removed from power through a vote of no confidence on April 9, 2022, just weeks after the meeting detailed in the cable. He has remained imprisoned since 2023 and is currently being held in solitary confinement.Khan and his party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, have repeatedly claimed that foreign powers and Pakistan’s military establishment worked together to marginalize him politically.
