ISLAMABAD:
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Sunday that the former ruling party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has apologised to US Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu and the government has obtained documentary evidence of the development while PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry rubbished his allegations, calling him “habitual liar”.
The defence minister said that the evidence pertaining to a meeting of a PTI leader with the US officials as well as PTI seeking pardon from the US government were available with the government.
The startling revelation has come against the backdrop of former prime minister Imran Khan repeatedly accusing the top US diplomat Donald Lu for using threatening language in a meeting with a Pakistani ambassador when a no-confidence motion was being moved against him.
امریکی سازش کا شوربیگم صاحبہ کی آڈیو میں غرق ھو گیا.اصلیت ھے کہ اب امریکہ کے ترلے باقاعدہ شروع ھیں.منت جاری ھےforget & forgive کردیا جاۓاورlet bygones be bygones.ترلے مان لیے گۓ تو امریکہ زندہ باد نہیں تو گالیاں پھر شروع. ملک سے باہر اوراندرون ملک اداروں کیساتھ فارمولا ایک ھے.
— Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) July 3, 2022
“The one shouting anti-US slogans in Pakistan is on his knees and seeking apology from US,” the PML-N stalwart said.
In a message conveyed to the US officials, Asif said the former premier, Imran Khan has admitted that he had committed a mistake and requested to start everything “from where it all started” – from the time when he started accusing the US of backing a ‘regime change operation’ in Pakistan.
Asif further said that Imran has conveyed to the diplomat that he wants to settle issues with the US. He chided Imran by saying that all his arrogance was gone as he was now begging Lu to resolve issues that surfaced following his hard-hitting speeches against Lu and the US.
Since his ouster through a no-confidence motion, Imran has been accusing Lu and his country of conspiring against him and labelling the top leadership of the ruling alliance and country’s powerful stakeholder as traitors for obeying the US and not doing anything to stop it, respectively.
Also read: Donald Lu should be sacked for ‘bad manners and sheer arrogance’: Imran
In almost all his campaigns since his removal, Imran has been saying that “US undersecretary of state responsible for South Asia tells our ambassador in an official meeting [with] note takers on both sides that unless you get rid of your prime minister Pakistan will suffer consequences”.
In an interview to CNN, Imran even said that Lu should be sacked for “bad manners and sheer arrogance” as he reiterated that it was an American-backed plot to remove him from office. In addition, Imran while accusing the US of forcing a regime change in Pakistan links it to his trip to Russia, saying it was perceived as if he was anti-American.
PTI government’s former information minister Fawad Chaudhry while calling Asif “a habitual liar” said that no such thing has taken place. “Neither Imran Khan nor PTI has directed anyone to meet and seek pardon from Lu and US,” Fawad told The Express Tribune. “We don’t know if someone has met with Lu or US officials in personal capacity.”
To Asif’s claim that the government has obtained documentary evidence to establish facts, Fawad said, “He should present the evidence if he has any” and reiterated that no directions have been issued to anyone for a patch-up.
Fawad said that ex-PM Imran Khan has laid down party’s policy toward the US through his statements, interviews and public speeches that the “regime change through a cipher was unacceptable”. He said Imran reiterated the same in party’s July 2 rally at Parade Ground in the capital.
Later, in a tweet, Fawad said that PTI has not contacted any US government representative at any level, saying Asif had become “mentally-ill” due to an incident in the recent past and he needed treatment.
خواجہ آصف عادتاْ جھوٹ بولتے ہیں عمران خان نے امریکہ سے متعلق پالیسی کل جلسے میں بیان کی ہے، تحریک انصاف نے کسی بھی سطح پر امریکی حکومت کے کسی بھی نمائندے سے رابطہ نہیں کیا، پہلے بھی کہا ہے ماضی قریب کے حادثے کی وجہ سےخواجہ آصف نفسیاتی مریض بن چکے ہیں اور انھیں علاج کی ضرورت ہے https://t.co/BrjLlxybO8
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) July 3, 2022