During US Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu’s speech at a Congressional hearing, chants of “lies, lies” erupted as he dismissed Imran Khan’s cipher allegations as a “conspiracy theory.”
Lu addressed the accusation by the ousted Pakistan Prime Minister, Imran Khan, that Lu had warned the then-Pakistani Ambassador, Asad Majeed, that Khan’s removal could improve US-Pakistan relations.
Khan’s PTI government fell in April 2022 via a no-confidence vote, unprecedented in Pakistan’s history. The US has consistently refuted Khan’s claims of involvement in his ousting.
At the hearing titled “Pakistan After the Elections: Examining the Future of Democracy in Pakistan and the US-Pakistan Relationship,” Lu clarified, “It is not accurate. At no point does it accuse the US government or me personally of taking steps against Imran Khan.” He also highlighted the then-ambassador’s confirmation of no conspiracy.
Lu expressed the US’s respect for Pakistan’s sovereignty and democratic process. However, some attendees interrupted his speech, chanting “lies, lies,” and were subsequently removed. They subsequently expressed their disdain by saying, “You [Lu] are lying, shame on you,” as they exited.
Read: Donald Lu Refutes Imran Khan’s Cipher Claims as ‘Baseless’ in US Panel Hearing
