The United States (US) has reiterated how Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan’s regime change allegations never boasted an iota of truth to begin with.
State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel made the comments at a press briefing organised on Wednesday afternoon Eastern Standard Time (EST). Queried on the US’ position if any on Khan’s recent turnaround on his regime change allegations, Patel said the country did not have a position on one political candidate versus another. He also reiterated how the US viewed a “peaceful” and democratic” Pakistan as critical to American interests. The US, he said, also did not let false information compromise ties with “valued partner” Pakistan.
“So let’s take a little bit of a step back. The U.S. values our longstanding cooperation with Pakistan and has always viewed a prosperous and democratic Pakistan as critical to U.S. interests. That remains unchanged. And we don’t have a position on one political candidate of a party versus another. We support peaceful upholding of democratic, constitutional, and legal principles. And ultimately, we will not let propaganda, misinformation, and disinformation get in the way of any bilateral relationship, including our valued bilateral partner with Pakistan.”
Pressed on to remark on the PTI supremo’s volte-face, Patel said Khan’s allegations had no truth to begin with in the first place. “As we’ve previously said, there has – there is not and there has never been a truth to these allegations, but I don’t have anything additional to offer.”
Patel desisted from commenting on Khan’s separate volte-face on his controversial Russia visit saying he really did not have more to offer on this account. “I really don’t have anything else to offer on Foreign Minister – or former Prime Minister Khan’s comments on that.”
