Alleged threat letter against Imran Khan
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Personal Cricket career Post-premiership |
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In March 2022, Imran Khan alleged that a diplomatic telegram (Cypher No. I-0678) was sent by then Pakistani ambassador to United States Asad Majeed Khan to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs based on the notes taken by a note-taker from the embassy of Pakistan based in Washington, D.C. The telegram allegedly stated that in the course of the meeting, the United States had expressed a desire to the government of Pakistan for prime minister Imran Khan to be removed from office because of his neutral stance on the war between Russia and Ukraine and refusal to back the Ukrainians, promising warmer relations if Pakistan agrees while threatening isolation if it does not. The lunch was attended by US officials including then US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu and Deputy Assistant Secretary Lesslie Viguerie. The Pakistani diplomats attending the lunch meeting included Deputy Chief of Mission Syed Naveed Bokhari and the defence attaché.
The meeting was deemed a "blatant interference" by the 37th National Security Council of Pakistan and resulted in a strong démarche to the US chargé d'affaires. The 38th National Security Council reaffirmed the previous council's assessment but deemed that "no evidence of any foreign conspiracy" was found. The former prime minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan (PTI), alleged that the events of the meeting were an attempt to influence his foreign policy, and the content of the letter confirmed a conspiracy to remove him from office through a parliamentary vote of no confidence in favor of the members of the Pakistan Democratic Movement. He also alleged that the letter stated that if the vote of no confidence failed, Pakistan would face dire consequences. The US Spokesperson for the Department of State, Ned Price, denied the allegations, saying "there is absolutely no truth to that allegation."
On 10 May, the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif (PMLN, PDM), addressed the National Assembly and acknowledged the letter was genuine, but said there was no conspiracy.