The United States (US) on Thursday said that the allegations levelled by Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan that foreign powers are aiming to destabilise his government are baseless. The White House director of communications Kate Bedingfield said there are no truths to that allegation.
The reaction from the US came after Pakistan PM Imran Khan in his speech to the Pakistanis said – while making a somewhat deliberate attempt at faking a slip of tongue and saying that the US – that a ‘foreign power’ was angered at the independent foreign policies designed by his government.
He said that a ‘foreign power’ sent a threatening memo directed at him. He further alleged that the memo stated that no-confidence motion against Imran Khan be passed at the Pakistan national assembly.
“On March 8 or before that on March 7, the US sent us a – not the US but a foreign country sent us a message. The reason why I am talking about this, for an independent country to receive such a message, is against me and the country,” Imran said in his speech. It stated that if the no-confidence motion passes, Pakistan will be forgiven, if not, there will be consequences,” Imran Khan said in his speech. He said that the letter was sent to the Pakistan ministry of external affairs.
“There is absolutely no truth to that allegation,” Bedingfield told reporters present inside White House’s briefing room. Another US state department official while speaking to news agency ANI echoed a similar sentiment. “There is no truth to these allegations. We are closely following developments in Pakistan. We respect and support Pakistan’s constitutional process and the rule of law,” the official was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Later, Ned Price, the US state department spokesperson said that there is no basis for these allegations to be levelled against the US. According to ANI, which cited Pakistani news media, the letter was a word-for-word transcript of a conversation between the diplomats of Pakistan and another country sent to Pakistan’s ministry of foreign affairs.
Relationships between Pakistan and the United States have been strained for a long time with certain lawmakers angered at Pakistan’s role in helping Taliban prevail. Its alignment with China and Imran’s sudden visit to Russia during the initial phase of Russia’s war on Ukraine also led the US to express its concern towards Pakistan’s behaviour.
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