US Senator Chris Van Hollen said on Sunday that the administration led by US President Joe Biden has no intention of interfering in Pakistan’s internal politics and denied all allegations of political engineering.
Speaking to Pakistani journalists during Biden’s annual meeting and gala dinner, the senator said, “I have been in contact with the Biden administration for a long time and can say with confidence that anything related to Pakistani politics is engineered.” Not attempted.” DC, Maryland, Virginia (DMV) Chapter of the Association of Pakistani Physicians of North America.
This statement of the senator has come at a time when Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan is being investigated for a diplomatic reference in which the party chief claimed that in April last year, through no-confidence motion. There was evidence of alleged US involvement in his removal from power. Vote.
Senator Hollin was the chief guest at the event, which was also attended by Pakistan’s ambassador to the US, Masood Khan. Meanwhile, the event became a platform for the American politician to address key issues related to US-Pakistan relations and the role of the Biden administration in Pakistani politics.
He reiterated that it is up to the people of Pakistan to decide their leaders and further expressed the need to ensure that the will of the people of Pakistan is heard and reflected and free and fair elections are held. advocated.
Ambassador Masood Khan @Masood__Khan & Senator Chris Van Hollen @ChrisVanHollen attended the Annual Meeting & Gala Dinner of the DMV chapter of @APPNA as Chief Guests. A night of unity, achievements, & recognizing the valuable contributions of physicians of Pakistani descent.🇵🇰🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/eYGIzTQkUC
— Pakistan Embassy US (@PakinUSA) September 10, 2023
Highlighting the global importance of transparent elections, the US senator said: “The United States, other democracies and the people of Pakistan have an interest in ensuring free and fair elections.”
Commenting on the bilateral relations between the two countries, the senator affirmed the desire of the Biden administration for a strong partnership with Pakistan.
He said about the recent aid provided by the US after the devastating floods in Pakistan that it is an example of the US government’s commitment to the disaster-stricken nation.
He also appreciated the role of the US in supporting Pakistan to get the $3 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout package.
The senator stressed the importance of maintaining good relations with Pakistan, saying that such relations are essential for global stability and security.
Ciphergate
The cipher controversy first emerged on 27 March 2022, when Khan – days before his ouster following a no-confidence motion against him – published a letter, which he claimed was directed to a foreign nation. There was a letter from, which said that his government should be removed from power.
They did not reveal the contents of the letter nor did they name the nation that sent it. But days later, he named the United States and said Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lowe had called for his removal.
This cipher was about the meeting of Asad Majeed, the former ambassador of Pakistan to America, with Lowe.
Claiming that he was reading the material from the cipher, the former prime minister said that “all will be forgiven for Pakistan if Imran Khan is removed from power”.
Then on March 31, the NSC took up the matter and decided to issue a “strong demarche” to the country for “blatant interference in Pakistan’s internal affairs”.
Later, after his dismissal, the then Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif convened a meeting of the NSC, which concluded that there was no evidence of foreign conspiracy.
The cypher case against the former prime minister turned serious when his principal secretary Azam Khan testified before a magistrate and the FIA that the former prime minister had used it for his ‘political advantage’ and to prevent a no-confidence vote against him. American cipher was used for this. .
The ex-bureaucrat said in his confession that he was “happy” when he provided the cipher to the former prime minister and called the language “an American mistake”. According to Azam, the former prime minister then said the cable could be used to “create a narrative against the establishment and the opposition”.
Azam said the PTI chairman used American ciphers in political gatherings, despite his advice to refrain from such actions. He mentioned that the former prime minister had also told him that the cipher could be used to draw public attention to “foreign involvement” in the opposition’s no-confidence motion.
