Published diplomatic cables from Pakistan, released this week by US-based outlet Drop Site, have re‑ignited debate over the circumstances surrounding former prime minister Imran Khan’s removal in April 2022. The files describe blunt warnings delivered by a senior US diplomat to Pakistan days after Khan’s controversial visit to Moscow.
The classified message records a meeting between Pakistan’s then‑ambassador and US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu. According to the cable, Lu warned that if the no‑confidence vote succeeded it would be “forgiven in Washington,” but if Khan remained in power “it will be tough going ahead” and his “isolation” from Europe and the US would be “very strong.” An internal assessment appended to the cipher said such a forceful demarche “could not have been conveyed without the express approval of the White House,” and that the official had spoken “out of turn on Pakistan’s internal political process.”
Although the documents do not directly accuse Pakistan’s military of orchestrating Khan’s ouster, they suggest that both civilian and military leaders were aware of intense diplomatic pressure linked to Khan’s independent foreign policy. Khan has long alleged a conspiracy involving Washington, opposition parties and parts of the military; both the US and Pakistan’s military have repeatedly denied those claims.
The row centres on Khan’s trip to Moscow on February 24, 2022 — the day Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine — which reportedly alarmed Western capitals. The cables also record Pakistani officials protesting perceived double standards, saying Washington treated India’s position on Ukraine more leniently while taking a harsher stance toward Pakistan.
The revelations arrive amid a tense political climate in Pakistan: Khan remains jailed, his party is under heavy state pressure, and he still commands substantial public support. The leaked dispatches are likely to intensify scrutiny of the role played by Pakistan’s powerful military and by international actors during the crisis that led to the no‑confidence vote.
