Islamabad: Senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Rana Sanaullah stated Thursday that a foreign media outlet’s narrative regarding the US cypher, which alleged that former prime minister Imran Khan dismissed under American pressure following his Russia visit, is nothing new.
“Though there is nothing new in this story, the investigation needs to held to establish the authenticity of the information or source document,” Sanaullah said after The Intercept claimed to have gotten the secret document that has been a topic of contention since March last year.
Moreover, The US publication was unable to validate and verify the paper.
The document released shortly after the National Assembly dissolved, starting an electoral process without the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman, who was disqualified for five years for corruption.
“Potentially, it is a very sinister, treacherous, and seditious act,” Sanaullah stated in a series of tweets.
While, Khan, deposed in a US-backed no-confidence vote, has a copy of the cable, the interior minister said.
“It should not forgotten that Imran Khan Niazi had a copy of the cypher. Which he has not returned and has accepted (on record) that he misplaced or lost it.”
“If proven guilty, Khan should tried under the Official Secrets Act,” the former interior minister said.
US reaction
Moreover, In Washington, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said he couldn’t authenticate the document’s validity.
Pakistani document. It may not be a Pakistani document. “No idea,” the representative answered.
“With respect to reported comments, I am not gonna speak to private diplomatic exchanges. Other than to say that even if those comments were accurate as reported. They in no way show the United States taking a position on who the leader of Pakistan ought to be.”
Miller added that the US informally and publicly voiced worry to the Pakistani government about then-prime minister Khan’s visit to Moscow on the day Russia invaded Ukraine.
“We expressed that worry. The previous Pakistani ambassador to the US denied that the US interfered in Pakistan’s leadership decisions. They’re false. “They’re always false,” he remarked.
“If you take all the comments in that purported cable in context, I think what they show is that the United States government expressing concern about the prime minister’s policy choices.”
He reiterated that the US did not favour any Pakistani leader.
“I cannot speak to the veracity of this document,” Miller replied.
“Even if the comments were 100% accurate as reported, which I do not know. They reveal no State Department representative taking a leadership position.”
The follow-up question is how other countries would perceive the US taking a position. When it weighs in, even in this way. “I can understand how those comments, number one, could be taken out of context, and number two, how people might want them to be,” Miller said. They may utilise them to promote an unrepresentative agenda.”
The spokeswoman said, “A number of people have taken them out of context for political purposes.” I won’t say intents, but I think that’s happening.”
