Leaked documents reveal how US-Pakistan tensions allegedly led to Imran Khan’s removal and imprisonment. Photo: AI.
A new bombshell report reveals how the Pakistani army, in cohorts with the US, removed its former Prime Minister from office and put the ex-cricketer Imran Khan in jail. A report by Drop Site News citing a leaked cable reveals a detailed timeline of the events that reshaped relations between the United States and Pakistan over the last five years, including the removal of Khan. The leaked cable explains how Pakistan was successful in turning the deep mistrust into close political cooperation with the US.
In June 2021, then-CIA Director William J. Burns travelled to Pakistan seeking a meeting with then-Prime Minister Imran Khan. The report claims that Burns waited an entire day for the meeting, which, however, did not take place.
Khan’s office reportedly told Burns by phone that the prime minister would only speak directly with his counterpart, US President Joe Biden. Biden had repeatedly declined requests for direct communication with Khan.
During Donald Trump’s presidency, Khan had enjoyed comparatively warm ties with Washington. In July 2019, Khan visited the White House. The two leaders met again during the United Nations General Assembly session in September 2019 and later at the White House in January 2020.
Burns had reportedly travelled to Islamabad to secure access to Pakistani territory for US drone operations targeting Afghanistan following the planned American withdrawal. However, he returned without obtaining either military access or a meeting with Khan.
Khan later publicly reinforced his position during an interview with Axios co-founder Jonathan Swan.
“Absolutely not. There is no way we are going to allow any bases, any sort of action from Pakistani territory into Afghanistan. Absolutely not,” Khan said.
According to the leaked cable cited by Drop Site News, Khan’s rejection of US demands coincided with increasing pressure from Saudi Arabia.
While Khan’s administration was drawing diplomatic red lines with both Washington and Gulf allies, Pakistan’s military leadership allegedly concluded that the prime minister was isolating the country internationally.
In July 2021, the country’s military did something without telling the prime minister – they hired a former CIA boss in Islamabad to be a lobbyist in Washington. This move was seen as a sign that the military was starting to do its own thing, separate from the government that was elected by the people.
After Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, things started changing for Imran Khan. On February 24, 2022, the same day Russian forces entered Ukraine, Imran Khan was in Moscow for a previously scheduled meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Days before the visit, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan reportedly called Pakistan’s National Security Adviser Moeed Yusuf and urged him to convince Khan to cancel the trip. Sullivan reportedly warned against the Moscow visit and pressing Pakistan to align more clearly with Washington regarding the Ukraine conflict. Khan however visited Russia.
Not long after that, Pakistan chose not to vote for a United Nations resolution that criticized Russia for invading another country.
According to the report, US diplomats were angered by both Khan’s Moscow visit and Pakistan’s refusal to openly side with Washington. A
On March 7, 2022, something important happened. Pakistan’s ambassador to the US, Asad Majeed Khan, had a meeting with Donald Lu. He is the assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian affairs in the US.
A secret conversation was written down in a private government message, which was later made public and became a key part of claims that other countries were trying to influence things.
According to the cable, Lu allegedly told the Pakistani ambassador that Washington’s concerns regarding Khan’s government could be resolved if the prime minister were removed through a parliamentary no-confidence vote.
The phrase “all will be forgiven” was later cited by the Pakistani ambassador in reference to the discussion.
Imran Khan was removed from office on April 9, 2022, through a no-confidence motion backed by Pakistan’s military establishment.
Following his removal, Khan’s political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), faced sweeping restrictions. The party was outlawed, stripped of its electoral symbol ahead of the 2024 general election and prevented from contesting polls under its own banner. PTI-backed candidates who won as independents were also reportedly denied certification.
Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were later jailed in multiple cases involving corruption, contempt and national security allegations. Both remain imprisoned, while Khan has reportedly been held in solitary confinement since last year.
Despite spending nearly three years in prison, Imran Khan has remained mentally resilient, according to his sons, Sulaiman Isa and Kasim Khan.
The former prime minister and Bushra Bibi are currently serving prison sentences in corruption-related cases connected to a property trust and allegations involving luxury gifts.
In an interview cited by The Times, Khan’s sons revealed details of a recent phone conversation with their father. The discussion reportedly lasted around 28 minutes and, according to them, reflected Khan’s continued determination.
Kasim Khan described his father as physically stable but more concerned about the condition of Bushra Bibi.
“We asked how he is physically, but he’s quite dismissive of that stuff. He said, ‘I’m doing OK,’ and he said his eyesight is getting a little better, so I took that as a positive,” Kasim said.
Also Read: Pakistan Bridge Collapse: Four Dead, One Injured In Two Separate Incidents In Sindh
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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