- The Intercept published an article by Murtaza Hussain revealing a leaked cable showing US pressure on Pakistan to remove PM Imran Khan due to his stance on the Ukraine conflict.
- The cable documents Assistant Secretary of State Lu’s meeting with the Pakistani ambassador, suggesting Khan’s removal would be forgiven, leading to Pakistan’s alignment with the US and Europe.
The Intercept, an online news publication that focuses on investigative journalism, published an article by Murtaza Hussain titled “Leaked Cable Shows U.S. Urged Pakistan to Remove Prime Minister Over Neutrality on Ukraine War”. The article claims to reveal the contents of a classified Pakistani government document that shows how the U.S. State Department pressured the Pakistani establishment to oust the former Prime Minister Imran Khan over his stance on the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
According to the leaked document, which is a cable produced by the ambassador and transmitted to Pakistan, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu met with the Pakistani ambassador to the U.S., Asad Majeed Khan, on March 7, 2022, and expressed the American displeasure with Pakistan’s position.
Lu said that if Khan was removed from power in a no-confidence vote in Parliament, “all will be forgiven in Washington”, otherwise Pakistan would face “isolation” by the U.S and Europe.
The article provides some background information on Imran Khan, who was Prime Minister of Pakistan (A Nuclear State) from 2018 to 2022, and his policy of neutrality on the Ukraine conflict. It mentions that Imran had tried to contact Secretary of State Antony Blinken to explain Pakistan’s position, but to no avail..
The cable details the conversation between Lu and Asad Majeed Khan, where Lu repeatedly referred to the White House’s approval and the political situation in Pakistan. The cable also covers other topics such as Afghanistan and bilateral ties, but the article focuses on the issue of Ukraine. The cable ends with an assessment section where the ambassador says that Lu spoke out of turn on Pakistan’s internal political process and recommends making a diplomatic protest to the U.S.
One month after the meeting, Khan was ousted in a no-confidence vote that was believed to have been orchestrated by Pakistan’s powerful Army, who had backed him earlier but then turned against him. The article claims that Khan and his supporters have been engaged in a struggle with the military and its civilian allies ever since, accusing them of engineering his removal at the request of the U.S.
Pakistan’s foreign policy has changed significantly since Khan’s removal, with Pakistan tilting clearly towards the U.S. and European side in the Ukraine conflict and becoming a supplier of arms to the Ukrainian military. It also says that Pakistan has signed a defence pact with the U.S., covering joint exercises, operations, training, basing and equipment.
Imran Khan’s removal from power has thrown Pakistan into political and economic turmoil, with protests against his dismissal and suppression of his party sweeping the country and paralyzing its institutions. He recently has been sentenced to three years in prison on corruption charges, which his defenders dismiss as baseless; he survived assassination attempts; he has been subject to an attempted assassination, he faces prosecution under the Official Secrets Act for exposing the cable; thousands of members of civil society have been detained by the military; several journalists who reported on the cable have been killed or disappeared; and a regime of extreme censorship has been put in place by the military.
The article criticises the U.S. government for looking away as Pakistan moves toward becoming a full-fledged military dictatorship and for not commenting on Khan’s trial or human rights situation. It says that while the Biden administration said that human rights will be at the “forefront” of their foreign policy, they are now ignoring Pakistan’s democratic backsliding and focusing on strengthening their military-to-military relations.
The disclosure of this cable is significant because it provides hardcore evidence that supports Khan’s allegations of U.S. interference in his ouster. The cable shows how U.S. officials pressured Pakistan to remove ImranKhan over his Independent Foreign Policy; neutrality on Ukraine while hinting at rewards for his removal.
Hussain claims that Khan’s removal from power has thrown Pakistan into turmoil while strengthening its ties with Western imperial powers.
The body of the leaked cypher
Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu
Pakistani Foreign Secretary Asad Majeed Khan
