US reiteratres no truth to Imran Khan's foreign conspiracy claims

Washington [US], July 4 (ANI)

The US State Department has reiterated its stance over the former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's claims that Washington was involved in the toppling of his government, and said that there was no truth to these claims.

On Imran Khan's claim on the US involvement in toppling him, a US spokesperson said, "As we have said before, there is no truth to these allegations," reported Dawn. This came after media reports that Imran Khan's party has now apologized to the US against whom it had levelled allegations of planning to conspire to throw the cricketer-turned-politician out of power.

As per the reports, the Pakistani Defence Minister said that the country's government has procured all the evidence that the party apologized to the United States' Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu for levelling foreign conspiracy allegations against him.

In March, former prime minister Imran Khan, while he was still in office, claimed that the opposition's no-confidence motion against him was the result of a "foreign conspiracy" because of his external policy and funds were channelled from abroad to oust him.

Later, PTI leaders told journalists that they based their claim on a cable that the former Pakistani ambassador in Washington sent to Islamabad on March 7, detailing the conspiracy. The cable included details of the Pakistani Ambassador to the US Asad Majeed Khan's meeting with Lu at the Pakistan Embassy.

Speaking during the Pakistani local Geo News programme "Naya Pakistan", the Pakistani defence minister said, "We [the coalition government] have obtained all records regarding PTI's apology to Lu. Evidence has been received regarding PTI leaders' meeting with the US government where they tendered an apology." Continuing further, he said that while Khan was chanting slogans against the US during his public gatherings, he is now "apologising for his mistakes". Asif also said that the PTI chairman has sent a message to the US where he desired his wishes to "fix things and his relationship with the superpower".

He also responded over the leaked audio of former first lady and Imran Khan's wife Bushra Bibi. Notably, in the leaked audion, she could be heard instructing PTI's Dr Arsalan Khalid to run traitor trends on social media. Over these reports, Asif said that the PTI can file a petition in the court to get the leaked audio verified through forensics from a third party, as per the media portal.

The defence minister said that Imran Khan is trying to defame institutions now that he has lost the top seat and his government fell through the no-confidence motion. Asif added, "he should be ashamed of levelling allegations against the institutions."

On the "contradictory remarks" by Imran Khan in regards to the foreign conspiracy, Asif said, "In the past, we too criticised the institutions but never levelled allegations." He went on to saying that till the time Khan was in power, he liked all these things which he has been commenting against. Earlier, while addressing a rally on June 6, Imran Khan had called for the sacking of Donald Lu.