The conversation that rattled the then Prime Minister Imran Khanlink governmentin Pakistan link took placeon March 7 at a farewell lunch for the country’s ambassador to the US AsadMajeed Khan at his residence in Washington, which is also known as Pakistanlink House, a media reportsaid on Sunday.
Citing diplomatic and official sources, Dawn newspaper reported that anote-taker also attended the lunch meeting and the cable that AmbassadorKhan later sent to Islamabad was based on the notes taken by thenote-taker, who was from the Pakistani Embassy.
Since the lunch meeting attended by Assistant Secretary of State for Southand Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu and Deputy Assistant Secretary LesslieC Viguerie – was held less than two weeks after the Russian militaryoperation against Ukraine, the invasion dominated the conversation, thepaper said.
The sources said the US side expressed its disappointment’ with Pakistanlink decision to send itsprime minister, Imran Khanlink, to Moscow theday Russia invaded Ukraine, the paper said.
They pointed out how the invasion had angered the entire American nationand explained why they thought Khan should have postponed his visit, one ofthe sources said.
Another source said Lu hinted that Washington believes the final decisionto go ahead with the visit despite the invasion was that of Imran Khanlink although somePakistani officials had suggested postponing it, the paper reported.
Ambassador Khan, according to these sources, argued that it was acollective decision and that Pakistan had been trying for a Moscow visitfor years. And when the invitation came, they could not turn it down orpostpone it.
The Americans, however, argued that Islamabad should have also consideredWashington’s sensitiveness on this issue before going ahead with the visit,the paper said.
The sources said the conversation then drifted to the current politicalenvironment in Pakistan, and Lu pointed out that Washington was keenlywatching the situation and the outcome of a no-trust move against the thenprime minister would impact US-Pakistan relations as well, the paper said.
One source claimed Lu’s arguments were alarming and far from routine, buthe did not threaten a regime change.
The source also claimed that no one attending the meeting felt that theAmericans were hatching a conspiracy to topple the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insafgovernment led by Khan.
No, there’s no conspiracy. Nobody got that impression, the source added.But they did say the outcome will impact bilateral ties, which can beinterpreted either way.
The sources said the Americans never concealed their disappointment withPakistan over Khan’s Moscow visit. They claimed that Army Chief Gen QamarJaved Bajwa had planned to visit Washington in April, but postponed itafter learning how the Americans felt about Ukraine.
I never thought it was a US conspiracy, but it triggered certain reactionsthat impacted the domestic political situation in Pakistan, another sourcesaid. What Lu said reflected what the Biden administration feels andthinks. It was very unusual. Not one bit routine.
Read Top Stories
The source claimed that the defence attache’s presence in the lunchmeeting, and his earlier engagement with US officials on the Ukraine issue,explained why Gen Bajwa’s comments on Ukraine marked a significantdeparture from Khan’s policies on this issue, the paper said.
Khan had argued that Pakistan made a mistake by joining the West during theCold War, it should remain neutral in the Russia-Ukraine conflict andrefused to condemn Moscow’s invasion.
Addressing a seminar in Islamabad on April 2, Gen Bajwa, however, slammedRussia’s military attack on Ukraine, calling for an immediate cessation ofwhat he described as a huge tragedy inflicted on a smaller country.
Last week, the Army also dismissed Khan’s allegations of a US conspiracy,although it acknowledged that Washington had used language in the lunchmeeting that amounted to interference in Pakistani affairs.
Military spokesman Major General Babar Iftikhar said that the NationalSecurity Council’s meeting on this issue expressed grave concern at thecommunication from Washington, but did not use the word conspiracy’.
On April 8, in his last address to the nation as prime minister, Khanreiterated his allegations that a senior US diplomat threatened a regimechange in Pakistan.
In another statement, Khan also named the official – Donald Lu – whoallegedly made that threat during a meeting with Ambassador Khan.
Khan, 69, became the first prime minister in Pakistan who was removedthrough a no-trust vote on April 9 – a move he alleged was the outcome of a’foreign conspiracy’ orchestrated by the US.
On April 10, while commenting on Khan’s claim, a US State Departmentspokesperson said: Let me just say very bluntly there is absolutely notruth to these allegations, according to the Dawn report.
Khan has been trying to build a narrative that he was a victim ofinternational linkand his party has demanded a probe by the Supreme Court.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced that a committee of theparliament would be briefed by the army and other officials about theletter, and also committed to resign if proved that the US conspired toremove Khan.
Source:link