A leaked classified diplomatic cable has reignited one of Pakistan's most explosive political controversies, appearing to lend fresh weight to former Prime Minister Imran Khan's long-standing allegation that a US-backed conspiracy and Pakistan's powerful military establishment worked in tandem to remove him from office in 2022.
The document, published by US-based investigative outlet Drop Site, details a March 7, 2022 meeting between Pakistan's then ambassador to Washington, Asad Majeed Khan, and senior US diplomat Donald Lu.
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According to the report, the conversation centred on Khan's “aggressively neutral position” on Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Islamabad's refusal to permit American military bases for operations in Afghanistan.
The leaked cable, identified as I-0678, reportedly records Lu telling the Pakistani envoy that “all will be forgiven” in Washington if Khan was removed through a no-confidence motion.
He also allegedly warned that Khan's “isolation will become very strong from Europe and the United States” if he survived politically.
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Khan has repeatedly accused the United States, along with Pakistan's traditional political parties — the Pakistan Muslim League (N) and Pakistan Peoples Party — of orchestrating his ouster because of his independent foreign policy and refusal to align fully with Washington against Russia and China.
“America wants me, personally, gone … and everything would be forgiven,” Khan had said in April 2022.
Washington had strongly denied the allegations at the time. Then State Department spokesperson Ned Price said there was “no truth” to the claims and reiterated US support for Pakistan's constitutional process.
Khan was removed from power on April 9, 2022 through a no-confidence vote. Since then, the former premier and his wife Bushra Bibi have remained jailed in multiple cases, while his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, has faced sweeping political restrictions since before the 2024 elections.
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