The US State Department and White House jointly rejected Prime Minister Imran Khan’s claim that he held foreign powers responsible for seeking to destabilize his government.
The White House responded early Friday to the Prime Minister’s speech, in which he blamed the US government for the no-trust motion filed against him.
In a televised speech to the nation on Thursday, referring to the “threatening memo” that the PM said he got from a foreign country against his administration, he incorrectly identified the United States as being behind the conspiracy.
In an apparent slip of the tongue, he mentioned “the United States…” but soon moved on to say that “a foreign government” had delivered a “threatening document” against the Pakistani nation.
During a normal press briefing, White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield categorically denied PM Imran Khan’s allegation.
In response to a query about Pakistan’s Prime Minister accusing the US government of conspiring to destabilize him, Bedingfield responded, “absolutely no truth to that accusation.”
A day earlier, in response to an inquiry from Geo News about the “threat letter,” the US State Department unequivocally denied any role in the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan.
“Allegations of US involvement in the no-trust vote and ‘threat letter’ to Prime Minister Imran Khan are false,” the State Department said.
Meanwhile, US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price disputed Imran Khan’s claim that the US government is attempting to depose him.
During a normal press briefing, Price was asked to react to PM Imran Khan’s allegation, to which the US official replied, “we are closely following developments in Pakistan, we respect and support Pakistan’s constitutional process and rule of law.”
“However, there is no truth to that accusation,” he concluded.
What exactly is the ‘threat letter’?
On Sunday, during what the PTI called one of its “biggest” rallies in its history at the Parade Ground in Islamabad, the premier displayed a letter to the public, claiming that he has “written evidence” that “money has been pouring in from abroad,” while “some of our people are being used to topple the government.”
He claimed that for months, “plotting and scheming has been carried out to influence Pakistan’s foreign policy from outside.”
However, during a broadcast speech to the nation the day before, the Prime Minister, in an apparent slip of the tongue, mentioned “the United States…” but soon moved on to say that “a foreign government” had written a “threatening document” against the Pakistani nation.
“…the letter revealed that the no-confidence motion was being presented even before it was filed, which implies the Opposition was in communication with them,” the premier claimed.
Prime Minister Imran Khan stated that the memo was directed at him, not the government. “…it indicated that if the no-confidence motion passes, Pakistan will be forgiven; else, there will be consequences.”
The premier added that an “official letter” was transmitted to Pakistan’s envoy, who was taking notes during the meeting.
Pakistan has submitted a formal protest to the US government.
Following the National Security Committee’s (NSC) decision to launch a strong demarche to the country whose official transmitted the “threat.”
According to Foreign Office officials, Pakistan summoned the US acting deputy chief of mission in Islamabad over the ‘threat letter’ and expressed significant displeasure with the memo’s undiplomatic tone directed at Pakistan.
According to the sources, Pakistan informed the US envoy that intervention in Pakistan’s domestic affairs is unacceptable.