Islamabad: A leaked Pakistani diplomatic cable has reignited controversy over the 2022 ouster of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, with reports claiming the document points to possible US pressure on Islamabad ahead of the no-confidence vote that removed him from office.
The controversy resurfaced after Drop Site published a classified Pakistani diplomatic cable ‘cypher’ allegedly sent by Pakistan’s then ambassador to Washington, Asad Majeed Khan, after a meeting with senior US officials in 2022.
According to the report, the cable documented a March 7, 2022 meeting between Pakistani diplomats and senior US State Department official Donald Lu.
The document allegedly contained remarks suggesting that ties between Washington and Islamabad would improve if Khan was removed through a parliamentary no-confidence motion. One phrase from the cable — “all will be forgiven in Washington” — has become the centre of renewed political debate in Pakistan.
Khan had long maintained that his removal in April 2022 was part of a foreign-backed conspiracy linked to his independent foreign policy decisions, particularly his visit to Moscow on the day Russia invaded Ukraine. The former premier had also accused Pakistan’s military establishment of colluding with foreign elements for bringing his downfall. The United States repeatedly denied the allegations, calling them baseless.
According to the leaked reports, US officials were displeased with Khan’s refusal to align fully with Washington on the Ukraine conflict and his rejection of requests linked to American counterterrorism operations after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
The controversy, known widely as the “Cyphergate” or “Cipher Case”, later became part of legal proceedings against Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi under Pakistan’s Official Secrets Act. Both leaders were accused of mishandling classified state documents. However, the Islamabad High Court acquitted them in the cipher case in 2024.
The resurfacing of the cable has once again intensified political tensions in Pakistan, where Khan remains jailed in multiple cases and continues to enjoy significant public support through his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.
