File photo of U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price in Washington, D.C., on July 14. Photo by Freddie Everett; Courtesy State Department
In separate statements, both White House and State Department say there is no truth to the prime minister’s allegations of a foreign conspiracy
The U.S. State Department and the White House on Thursday described as “baseless” Prime Minister Imran Khan’s allegations of a “foreign country” being responsible for the opposition’s no-confidence motion against him.
White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield, during a regular press briefing, categorically rejected P.M. Khan’s allegation. Responding to a question on the prime minister’s claims of the U.S. government working with the opposition to remove him from power, she said there was “absolutely no truth to that allegation.”
Separately, U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price also rejected the prime minister’s allegations. Addressing a regular press briefing, during which he was asked to comment on Khan’s claims, the U.S. official said: “We are closely following developments in Pakistan, we respect and support Pakistan’s constitutional process and rule of law.”
However, he stressed, “when it comes to that allegation, there is no truth to it.”
Earlier, during a nationally televised address, the prime minister had referred to a “threatening memo” that he claimed had been sent by a Pakistani envoy as part of a “foreign conspiracy” to oust his government. While he avoided naming the country initially, at one point he apparently slipped up and identified it as the U.S.
The letter, or diplomatic cable, allegedly contains details of a meeting between the Pakistani envoy and a diplomatic official of his host country. In it, the foreign official claims ties between his country and Pakistan can only improve if Khan’s government is ousted, adding that there could be “consequences” if the opposition’s no-confidence motion succeeds.