WASHINGTON: The US State Department and White House have rejected Prime Minister Imran Khan’s allegations in which he had held foreign powers responsible for attempting to topple his government.
The news also comes a day after the premier, during a nearly hour-long live address to the nation, vowed to foil “international conspiracy” hatched against his government by opposition leaders and their alleged handlers ahead of the no-confidence motion.
In an apparent slip of the tongue, he had revealed the name of the United States as the country behind the “threat letter”. However, he quickly moved on and stated that “a foreign country” had sent a “threatening memo” which was against the Pakistani nation.
During a regular press briefing, White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield categorically rejected PM Imran’s allegation. In response to the question, Bedingfield said, “absolutely no truth to that allegation”.
A day earlier, US State Department categorically rejected any kind of involvement in the no-confidence motion against PM Imran Khan. “Allegations of US involvement in the no-trust motion and ‘threat letter’ are baseless,” said the State Department.
Meanwhile, US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price also rejected Imran Khan’s statement that the US government was trying to oust him.
During a regular press briefing, Price was asked to comment on PM Imran Khan’s allegation, to which the US official said, “We are closely following developments in Pakistan, we respect and support Pakistan’s constitutional process and rule of law. However, when it comes to that allegation, there is no truth to it,” he concluded.
On Wednesday, the premier had shared the letter with his cabinet members in a hurriedly called meeting, which was not attended by PTI’s two major allies — Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) — despite being invited.
PM Imran had also called a selected group of TV anchors and informed them that “the language of the letter was threatening and arrogant” and that Pakistan would face dire consequences if the no-confidence motion failed.
This rush to share the document with the cabinet and some journalists came after it became clear that the prime minister had lost his majority in the National Assembly following the MQM-P’s decision to support the joint opposition in the no-trust resolution against the prime minister.
Pakistan lodged protest with US government
After the National Security Committee (NSC) decision to issue a strong demarche to the country whose official communicated the “threat”.
Pakistan summoned the US acting deputy chief of mission in Islamabad over the ‘threat letter’ and registered strong protest for the undiplomatic language used against Pakistan in the memo, according to sources in the Foreign Office.
The sources said Pakistan told the US envoy that interference in the internal affairs of Pakistan is unacceptable.
