Imran Khan cypher leak revives US role allegations in Pakistan ouster
A leaked diplomatic cypher has reignited political controversy in Pakistan, with newly published documents suggesting alleged US pressure linked to the removal of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in 2022.
The document, released by US-based investigative outlet Drop Site, reportedly contains details of a March 2022 conversation between then Pakistan ambassador to the US Asad Majeed Khan and American diplomat Donald Lu.
The conversation took place nearly a month before Imran Khan lost a no-confidence vote in Pakistan’s Parliament, leading to the collapse of his government.
According to the leaked cypher, Donald Lu expressed concerns over Pakistan’s “aggressively neutral position” on the Russia-Ukraine conflict and reportedly suggested that relations with Washington could improve if the no-confidence motion against Imran Khan succeeded.
The document quotes Lu as saying, “All will be forgiven in Washington” if the vote succeeded, while warning that Khan could face increasing isolation from the United States and Europe otherwise.
The controversy centres around Imran Khan’s February 2022 visit to Moscow, which coincided with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and drew criticism from Western countries.
However, the cypher also records the Pakistani envoy explaining that the Moscow trip had been planned before the invasion and should not be viewed as support for Russia’s actions.
The leaked document further indicates that Pakistani officials internally viewed the remarks as serious and believed such messaging from US officials would likely have required approval from higher authorities in Washington.
The release of the cypher has revived long-standing allegations by Imran Khan that foreign forces played a role in his removal from office. His claims were previously rejected by Pakistan’s National Security Committee, which stated that no evidence of a foreign conspiracy had been found.
Currently lodged in Adiala Jail, Imran Khan has repeatedly sought release on humanitarian grounds while continuing to accuse political rivals and external actors of orchestrating his downfall.
