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A secret Pakistani diplomatic cable, published for the first time on 18 May, confirms that a senior US diplomat insisted on the removal from office of former prime minister Imran Khan in 2022.

According to the cable, revealed by Drop Site News, Donald Lu, then US assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian affairs, told Pakistan's ambassador in Washington, Asad Majeed Khan, that "all will be forgiven" if the former PM was removed through a no-confidence vote in parliament.
The cable was sent after Khan traveled to Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on 24 February 2022, the same day Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine.
Lu stated that Khan's meeting with Putin in Moscow raised “serious concern” in Washington, as noted in the cable dated 7 March 2022 and classified as “Secret / No Circulation.”

Islamabad said Khan's Moscow trip had been planned months earlier and was unrelated to the Russian invasion, and stressed that it was pursuing a "neutral" policy toward the war.

The cable included Asad Majeed Khan's assessment that Lu had received approval from the White House to send that message. The ambassador also stated that Lu's remarks constituted interference in Pakistan's internal political affairs.

The document was forwarded to various Pakistani officials, including the prime minister's office secretary, the foreign minister, the army chief, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief, and the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) division director.

Khan was ousted as prime minister in a legislative coup six weeks later, on 9 April 2022. He revealed the existence of the cable at that time, claiming his removal was part of a “US-backed regime-change operation.”
Pakistan's government grew closer to Washington in the wake of Khan's removal via a no-confidence vote.
Before his ouster, Khan had rejected a request to allow the CIA to establish drone bases on Pakistani territory that would be used to carry out attacks and assassinations.

However, after Khan's removal, Pakistan began supplying weapons to Ukraine through US defense contractors and third-country intermediaries, Drop Site News reported.

US support for Pakistan's IMF loan was tied to weapons shipments, with the IMF approving a $3 billion standby in July 2023.
Khan faces 150 legal cases. He was arrested inside the Islamabad High Court building in May 2023 and convicted just days before crucial elections in January 2024, which saw his political party, the "Movement for Justice (PTI)," banned from using its signature symbol.
Authorities also ordered journalists and television news channels not to mention Khan's party in their election coverage.

In December of last year, UN Special Rapporteur on torture Alice Jill Edwards warned that Khan was being held in prison in conditions that could amount to torture and other inhuman or degrading treatment.

Edwards stated that Khan is subjected to lengthy periods of solitary confinement in a small cell without natural light or proper ventilation. The inadequate air flow causes unpleasant odors and insect problems, resulting in Khan experiencing nausea, vomiting, and significant weight loss.

Imran Khan, a 72-year-old ex-professional cricket player, has faced major health challenges, such as a severe spinal injury from a 2013 accident and gunshot wounds sustained during a 2022 assassination attempt.

https://thecradle.co/articles-id/37772