Donald Lu Dismisses Imran Khan’s Cypher Claims

During a Congressional panel testimony, US Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu once again rejected former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s claims that the US played a role in orchestrating his removal from power by supporting the opposition’s no-confidence motion in April 2022.

Addressing the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee during a hearing titled ‘Pakistan After the Elections: Assessing the Future of Democracy in Pakistan and the US-Pakistan Relationship,’ Lu emphatically stated, “I want to emphasize that this conspiracy theory is entirely false and baseless.”

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In response to inquiries regarding Khan’s allegations and the alleged leaked communication that Khan claimed contained threats from Lu during a meeting with then-Pakistan’s ambassador Asad Majeed in Washington in 2022, Lu reiterated, “I want to make it abundantly clear. These allegations, this conspiracy theory, are false. They are entirely untrue.”

Lu clarified that the allegations were inaccurate and did not implicate the US government or himself personally in any actions against Imran Khan. He also highlighted that Asad Majeed, Pakistan’s ambassador to Washington at the time, affirmed to his government that there was no conspiracy.

“We uphold Pakistan’s sovereignty and the fundamental principle that the Pakistani people should have the exclusive right to choose their leader through democratic means,” Lu stated.

However, disruptions arose during Lu’s response, with attendees labeling him a “liar” and chanting “Free Imran Khan.” Despite the objections, Lu reiterated the US’s respect for Pakistan’s sovereignty and commitment to democratic principles.