ISLAMABAD – Former prime minister Imran Khan on Monday called on the US todismiss Donald Lu, assistant secretary of state for South and Central AsianAffairs, for “bad manners and sheer arrogance as he “threatened” Pakistan.
In an interview with CNN, Khan said the US diplomat told Pakistan’sambassador that unless “you get Imran Khan removed in a vote ofno-confidence — which was not tabled but he seemed to know about it —Pakistan will suffer consequences”.
“And then goes on to say, of course, if you get rid of him through the voteof no-confidence, all will be forgiven — such arrogance […] by the wayBecky, this guy should be sacked for bad manners and sheer arrogance,” Khantold CNN’s Becky Anderson.
Khan said he presented the cypher to the federal cabinet, the NationalSecurity Council (NSC), as it was a “blatant interference in Pakistan’saffairs”.
When asked whether he got in touch with US President Joe Biden or otherofficials, Khan said the NSC had decided to issue a demarche and protest tothe US in Pakistan as well.
He said that President Arif Alvi had also asked Chief Justice of PakistanUmar Ata Bandial to hold an inquiry into the matter.
Answering a question, Khan said he had a “perfectly good” relationship withthe Donald Trump administration, and it was only when Joe Biden came intopower that the relations became strained.
“… for some reason, which I still don’t know, they (Biden administration)never got in touch with me; there was no US ambassador in Pakistan, I hadno idea,” Khan said.
The PTI chairman said his first priority was people of Pakistan, and heaspired to import oil from Russia, but for “some reason, this was takenagainst me as if I was being anti-US”.
Explaining as to why he believes Washington was behind the regime change inPakistan, Khan said the US embassy was calling members of his party, “someof the backbenchers”, who were not happy. “Why were they meeting them?” hequestioned, adding that they were the first ones who then jumped ships.
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“Why would the US embassy be interested in the backbenchers of our party?”he said.
Responding to a question regarding the current government being an”American replant”, Khan said: “It’s with their blessing […] we all callthem imported government but the worst thing is they are a bunch ofcriminals. 60% of the cabinet is on bail.”
Regarding him being in Moscow on the day when Russia announced war inUkraine, the former premier reiterated that his visit was planned a longtime back and all stakeholders in Pakistan were on board — the militarywanted a hard way from the Russians, the government wanted oil — hence,everything was planned a long time ago.
“How would I know that the day I land in Moscow, President VladimirVladimirovich Putin would decide to go into Ukraine.
“I would regret the trip to Russia if we had known about the invasion andthen I [had] gone in because I do not believe in military solutions,” hesaid in reply to a question about whether he regretted his trip to Russiaor not.
“I do not believe in military solutions and I have opposed all militaryways of achieving political ends,” he said.
Speaking about the next elections, Khan said: “Whenever the next electionstake place not only we will run but I can predict right now that this willbecome the biggest party in Pakistan’s history because the people are soincensed and feel insulted that these criminals are being forced on themwho have been plundering the country for 30 years.
“There is anger in Pakistan and unfortunately because of this becomingpublic […] there is anti-Americanism. When unpopular governments arefostered on the people the resentment then goes to the US. Andunfortunately yes there is anti-Americanism in Pakistan,” the former primeminister said.
