Islamabad: Pakistan PM Imran Khan, right, Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, center, and Defense Minister Pervez Khattaq
Highlights
- No US government agency had sent a letter to Pakistan, the United States said
- Media reports said the 'foreign-conspiracy' letter was sent to Ambassador Asad Mujeed
- The letter can be the diplomatic cable from Washington, drafted by a Pakistani diplomat
Amid Pakistan's political turmoil and the controversy surrounding the purported 'foreign conspiracy letter', the United States on Wednesday denied reports of any specific message being delivered to Pakistan's then-ambassador to the US.
No US government agency had sent a letter to Pakistan on the current political situation in the country, the Joe Biden-led country said.
While responding to the question regarding the alleged 'letter' and 'US involvement in a no-confidence motion against Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan', a State Department spokesperson said, "there is no truth to these allegations," Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported.
Imran Khan on Wednesday shared some details of the "foreign conspiracy letter" with senior journalists and cabinet members, asserting that the document was authentic and a foreign conspiracy was afoot to remove him from power, touting the Opposition's no-confidence motion against him as a testimony of "foreign-funded" move to topple his government.
According to some media reports, it was assumed that the 'foreign-conspiracy' letter was sent to Ambassador Asad Mujeed on the basis of his meeting with the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Donald Lu.
The letter can be the diplomatic cable from Washington, drafted by a Pakistani diplomat.
"The contents of the letter, apparently, are based on informal discussions between Pakistani and other officials," a source was quoted as saying by Dawn.
"The contents, if correct, show a set of friendly officials from various countries indulging in some loud-thinking and probing. Nothing more," the source added.
"The purpose behind such cables is to keep your government informed. It's no sign of a conspiracy against a government or a personality," another diplomatic source said.
Currently, Pakistan's new ambassador to the US is Masood Khan, while Ambassador Majeed has been moved to Brussels for taking up his new assignment.
Yesterday, in a special session of the cabinet chaired by Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, the government has decided to share the 'foreign-conspiracy' letter with the National Security Committee where Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi would brief the Committee about the letter in an in-camera session.
Apart from that, the letter was shown to the federal ministers on a teleprompter in the cabinet's special session chaired by Imran Khan, reported ARY News citing sources.
Imran Khan also said that he will share the 'foreign-funded conspiracy' letter with senior journalists and ally party members. "The letter will reveal the elements who are conspiring against the country from abroad," he said at the launch of e-passport services in Islamabad.
After the no-confidence motion against Imran Khan's government was tabled in the National Assembly with a total of 161 votes in favour, the proceedings were adjourned till today.
The no-confidence motion was submitted by the opposition parties on March 8. The opposition is confident that its motion would be carried as some allies of PTI have come out in the open against Imran Khan.
(With inputs from ANI)
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