Secret Pakistan Cipher Revives Imran Khan Row
A newly surfaced classified Pakistani diplomatic cipher has revived allegations that the United States pressured Islamabad over former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s foreign policy before his removal through a no-confidence vote in April 2022.
Pakistan Cipher And Imran Khan Ouster
The document reportedly records a March 2022 meeting between Pakistan’s then ambassador to Washington and senior US State Department official Donald Lu. The cipher has returned attention to Khan’s long-standing claim that his government was targeted because of its independent foreign policy line.
Khan had repeatedly alleged that Washington was unhappy with his Russia outreach, his neutral position on the Ukraine war and his refusal to fully align Pakistan with Western strategic demands.
US Pressure Allegations Resurface
The reported phrase “all will be forgiven in Washington” has become central to the renewed controversy. It is being interpreted by Khan’s supporters as evidence that relations with the US would improve if his government was removed.
However, Washington has previously denied directing or engineering Khan’s ouster. Pakistan’s rival political parties have also maintained that the no-confidence vote was constitutional and driven by domestic political developments.
Pakistan Politics And Military Role
The report has also revived scrutiny of Pakistan’s powerful military establishment and its contacts with Washington during the period of political instability. Khan’s party is likely to use the fresh revelations to argue that his removal was not merely a parliamentary event but part of a wider power struggle.
The controversy comes as Khan remains jailed and Pakistan continues to face political divisions, economic stress and debate over the military’s influence in civilian affairs.
