US involvement in Pak affairs no surprise for anyone: Experts

ISLAMABAD: Following the recent remarks by US Assistant Secretary of State for Central and South Asian Affairs, Donald Lu, regarding the US ‘hand’ in toppling former PM Imran Khan’s government, experts believe that US involvement in the affairs of Pakistan is no surprise for anyone.

In a recent hearing at the State Department, Donald Lu was asked about the Cipher Case accusing him of using his influence to remove the then-sitting Pakistani Minister Imran Khan.

Lu categorically rejected the claim by Imran Khan, his political party and his supporters, stating that the details of the cipher are not accurate and that the cipher does not accuse him personally or the United States government of taking steps against Imran Khan and his government.

Analysts, experts and think tanks believe it is a tailored truth of the United States and a blatant lie for Pakistan.

However, Lu’s statement has failed to satisfy many analysts and experts, who termed it the “Truth of the United States”, emphasising that Washington’s involvement in Pakistani politics, its policy-making and its decision-making are no surprise for anyone.

Analysts also believe that the United States had a strong role to play in the toppling of Imran Khan’s government as well as the US has done by involving itself in toppling governments in many other countries.

“Donald Lu’s statement was celebrated by the PML-N government. But it is a fact that US has toppled governments around the world”, said Naveed Hussain, Chief Editor of Express Tribune.

“In 2016, the US tried to change governments in 72 countries during the Cold War. Some of its efforts were successful and others were not. And its own newspaper The Washington Post revealed about it,” he added.

Hussain added that the audience present in the US State Department, who gave it back to Lu when he tried to label Imran Khan a liar, was not even buying Lu’s statement.

“When Donald Lu tried to call Imran Khan a liar and propagandist; people present at the State Department countered Lu by calling him a liar. This is how weak the US truth is,” said Hussain.

Ayaz Khan, senior journalist and group editor of a leading daily newspaper said everyone is well aware of America’s history of building and overthrowing governments.

Khan said that despite the fact that the pattern of US policy and its actions is the same but the significance of the cypher case hearing should not be overlooked.

“Lu’s statement was followed by conversations about Pakistan’s judiciary, election commission, human rights situation and relevant concerns over election integrity. All these things are important because they have been discussed,” he said.

“We should also not forget that Imran Khan initially accused the US of conspiring against his government. Now, he called upon the US to conduct a transparent investigation into the elections. He and his party are paying hefty money to lobbying firms in the US to build good relations with the US,” added Ayaz Khan.

Other experts slammed and criticised Imran Khan for using his hired US lobbying firms to put the matter up to the extent that a hearing was conducted and taken to such an extent.

“What Imran Khan’s party, his lobbying firms operating in the US, his supporters who are protesting and abusing all institutions in Pakistan. All of these actions are an attempt to get an external intervention, hatch a conspiracy to oust the ruling government and weaken Pakistan,” said senior journalist Amir Ilyas Rana.

While in Pakistan, there is no one ready to buy the reasoning of Lu on Pakistan and the conspiracy to remove Imran Khan’s government; there are many heads that have fallen in shame because of the political point scoring and the ongoing greed to gain power, many say the country is being ridiculed and its image is being deliberately damaged and showcased globally.

“I am ashamed as a Pakistani at the level to which we have stooped. One party expresses joy over American questioning of our elections, while the other is pleased with labelling the former prime minister as a liar. No good came for anyone, yet we find reasons to celebrate,” said senior religious leader Allama Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi.

Lu’s statement saw a celebratory response from the ruling political party Pakistan Muslim League–Nawaz (PML-N) who shared Lu’s recorded video statement of the hearing and slammed Imran Khan for toeing the line of a false and concocted narrative of a US-led conspiracy to remove him off power.