PTI pooh-poohs claim it sought pardon from Lu

PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry on Monday rubbished claims made by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif that the former ruling party had apologised to US official Donald Lu —  a man accused by former premier Imran Khan of orchestrating a conspiracy to oust him.

The rebuttal came a day after the defence minister made the claim that the PTI sought an apology from the US assistant secretary of state, documentary evidence of which was obtained by the government.

The defence minister had said that the evidence pertaining to a meeting of a PTI leader with the US officials as well as the PTI seeking pardon from the US government were available with the government.

“The one shouting anti-US slogans in Pakistan is on his knees and seeking an apology from the US,” the PML-N stalwart said.

The startling claims came against the backdrop of former prime minister Imran Khan repeatedly accusing the top US diplomat Donald Lu of using threatening language in a meeting with a Pakistani ambassador when a no-confidence motion was being moved against him.

Refuting Asif's claim at a press conference in Islamabad, Fawad asked the former whether he had gone deaf when Imran was giving his "policy statement in front of a gathering of tens of thousands of people" during the PTI's rally at Parade Ground on Saturday.

"Did you have cotton in your ears that you could not understand what Imran was saying?"

The former information minister said that the PTI desired good relations with all countries but added that it would not allow any country to decide "who would rule Pakistan".

"We cannot give this permission. We maintain relations on the basis of equality," he added.

'Habitual liar'

A day earlier, Fawad, while speaking to The Express Tribune, called Asif “a habitual liar”, saying that no such thing had taken place. “Neither Imran Khan nor the PTI had directed anyone to meet and seek pardon from Lu and the US,” he said.

“We don’t know if someone has met with Lu or the US officials in a personal capacity.”

To Asif’s claim that the government obtained documentary evidence to establish the facts, Fawad said, “He should present the evidence if he has any.” He reiterated that no directions had been issued to anyone for a patch-up.

Fawad said that former PM Imran laid down the party’s policy towards the US through his statements, interviews and public speeches that the “regime change through a cipher is unacceptable”. He said Imran reiterated the same in his party’s July 2 rally at Parade Ground in the capital.

Later, in a tweet, Fawad said that the PTI had not contacted any US government representative at any level, adding that Asif had become mentally ill due to an incident in the recent past and he needed treatment.