The debate has brought a new debate whether the United States had played a role in removing former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan from power.
There has been a lot of discussion in the country’s politics and international arena around a leaked diplomatic document.
A report published on the US investigative media Drop site on Monday (May 18th) claimed that Washington’s dissatisfaction with Islamabad was clearly stated in 2022 and that bilateral relations could be normalized if Imran Khan was removed.
The report is based on Pakistan’s much-discussed ‘sifer’ diplomatic documents. The meeting between the then Pakistani ambassador to the United States, Asad Majid Khan, and US State Department’s Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu, were also present.
According to the report, the government of Imran Khan’s government with Washington increased the distance between Washington due to not taking a tough stance against Russia in the war in Ukraine, maintaining diplomatic contacts with Moscow and objecting to the use of U.S. military bases in Afghanistan.
Imran Khan has repeatedly claimed that following an independent foreign policy was a combination between foreign powers and the country’s internal political groups to remove him from power. He alleged that some political parties in Pakistan, as well as the United States, played a role in the process.
The United States has denied the allegations from the beginning. At the time, U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said there was no basis for the allegations of U.S. involvement in Pakistan’s political change.
According to the leaked documents, the Pakistani ambassador was informed at the meeting on March 7, 2022, adding that changing leadership with a no-confidence vote could ease tensions in relations with the United States.
A month later, Imran Khan lost power in Pakistan’s parliament on April 9, 2022. He was later charged with multiple cases and is currently in jail by his wife Bushra Bibi.
After the fall of Imran Khan’s government, Pakistan’s foreign policy was a change in Pakistan’s foreign policy and increased efforts to strengthen ties with the Western world.
According to analysts, the leaked documents have raised new questions about Pakistan’s internal politics, the role of the military and the US-Pakistan relations. However, there is no official international investigation or final comment on the full authenticity of the document and its diplomatic impact.