Donald Lu rubbishes Imran Khan’s cipher allegations

Washington: US Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu reiterated his dismissal of former Prime Minister Imran Khan's allegations, labeling them as a "conspiracy theory, lie, and complete falsehood."

Testifying before a subcommittee of the US panel, Lu categorically stated, “Imran Khan's cipher conspiracy theory is a lie [and] it is a complete falsehood,”.

Addressing the hearing titled 'Pakistan After the Elections: Examining the Future of Democracy in Pakistan and the US-Pakistan Relationship,' Lu faced questions regarding the allegations and provided his assessment.

He emphasized that neither the US government nor he personally took any steps against Imran Khan, a point corroborated by then-Pakistan's ambassador to the US, Asad Majeed, who also testified to his government that there was no conspiracy.

“We respect the sovereignty of Pakistan and the principle that Pakistani people should choose their leader through a democratic process,”  Lu affirmed.

Lu also highlighted the US State Department's concerns regarding electoral abuses and violence surrounding the February 8 Pakistan general elections. He cited incidents of attacks on police, politicians, and political gatherings by terrorist groups, harassment and abuse of journalists, including female journalists, by political party supporters, and obstacles faced by some political leaders in registering specific candidates and parties.

Despite these challenges, Lu commended the voter turnout, with over 60 million Pakistanis casting their votes, including over 21 million women. He noted a significant increase in the number of women elected to Parliament compared to 2018, as well as the participation of members from religious and minority groups and young people.

Regarding allegations of irregularities, Lu mentioned the involvement of over 5,000 independent election observers and acknowledged some irregularities in the compilation of results. He urged transparent and thorough investigations, with accountability for those responsible for any irregularities.

The former Pakistani prime minister had publicly accused the US diplomat of delivering a warning to the then-Pakistani ambassador in Washington, suggesting that Khan's removal from office would improve ties. However, since Khan and his PTI government were ousted from power in April 2022 through a vote of no confidence, the US has consistently denied any involvement in conspiracies to remove him from office.

Lu also mentioned the formation of a high-level committee by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to address thousands of petitions regarding alleged rigging in the general elections.