US State Dept responds to reports of Imran Khan approaching Donald Lu

The US State Department has responded to the reports of former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan approaching Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu – the US diplomat who according to Imran Khan threatened the Pakistani ambassador to remove him from power or face consequences.

When Ned Price, State Department’s spokesperson, was asked to confirm if there were truth to media reports in Pakistan that Imran Khan sent one of his close associates to meet with Donald Lu and convey the message from him requesting to forget the past and move forward, the spokesperson responded, “If there was any such meeting, I just am not in a position to speak to it. We have – we remain engaged with a range of stakeholders in Pakistan, with those currently in government, and a broad array of others. But I’m just not in a position to speak to any such meeting.”

Responding to a question that if the US is ready to open a window of talks with Imran Khan despite the fact that the former prime minister’s entire campaign is built on the narrative that he will not be a slave of America, Price said that the US does not support one political party over another.

“We support the peaceful upholding of constitutional and democratic principles, including respect for human rights. We don’t support one political party over another. We support those broader principles of the rule of law and equal justice under the law,” Price said.

Earlier this month, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif claimed that Imran Khan has sought an apology from Donald Lu.

He claimed that PTI expressed the desire to resume ties from the stage they got spoiled.

According to Asif, ex-premier Imran Khan has conveyed to the US diplomat that he wants to mend ties with the US.

Former federal information minister and PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry, however, rejected Asif’s claims.