US says no truth to PM Imran’s allegation

State Department spokesman says ‘closely’ following developments in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD:

The United States is “closely” monitoring the situation in Pakistan and supports the country’s constitutional process, a State Department spokesman said on Thursday.

He was responding to a question about Prime Minister Imran Khan’s statement that a “foreign country” was working with the opposition to oust his government.

“Well, we are closely following developments in Pakistan, and we respect (and) we support Pakistan’s constitutional process and the rule of law,” Spokesman Ned Price said in reply to a question at his daily press briefing.

“But,” he added, “When it comes to those allegations, there is no truth to them.”

The development came as Prime Minister Imran Khan accused the United States of meddling in Pakistan's politics as the National Assembly takes up the opposition’s no-confidence motion on Sunday. No Pakistan premier has ever seen out a full term, and Imran is facing the biggest challenge to his rule since being elected in 2018, with opponents accusing him of economic mismanagement and foreign-policy bungling.

Fighting for his political life, the prime minister addressed the nation late Thursday, appearing to blunder when he named the United States as the origin of a "message" he said showed meddling in Pakistan's affairs.

"America has -- oh, not America but a foreign country I can't name. I mean from a foreign country, we received a message," he said.

Meanwhile, the same question was asked at the White House press briefing, and Communications Director Kate Bedingfield, said, “There is absolutely no truth to that allegation.”

The National Security Committee, the country’s highest security forum, expressed grave concern at the communication from a country, and termed the language used by the foreign official as “undiplomatic.”

“The committee concluded that the communication amounted to blatant interference in the internal affairs of Pakistan by the country in question, which was unacceptable under any circumstances.”

“The Committee had decided to issue a strong demarche both in Islamabad and in the country’s capital through proper channels in keeping with diplomatic norms,” a statement issued at the end of the NSC meeting said.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office on Thursday said the “requisite demarches have been made through diplomatic channels” as decided earlier in the National Security Committee