Pakistan summons US diplomat on 'interference'

Islamabad, April 1

Pakistan summoned a senior US diplomat here and lodged a strong protest over America’s alleged “interference” in its internal affairs, an official statement said on Friday. The US State Department on Thursday firmly rejected embattled PM Imran Khan’s remarks over Washington’s role in an alleged “foreign conspiracy” to oust him from power.

A powerful country is backing India that imports oil from Russia… but it’s angry over my visit to Moscow. — Imran Khan, Pakistan PM

US Charge d’ Affaires in Islamabad Angela P Aggeler was summoned by the Foreign Office over a “threatening letter” that warned of dire consequences if the Opposition’s no-confidence motion against Khan failed, the Dawn newspaper reported.

The step was taken after a decision by Pakistan’s National Security Council (NSC) on Thursday.

The Foreign Office also handed over a letter of protest to the US diplomat over the language used by a foreign official during a formal communication. The US diplomat has been told that “interference in Pakistan’s internal affairs is unacceptable”, the report said. The NSC decided to issue the strong demarche to the “country” that, in an interaction, expressed displeasure at Pakistan’s Ukraine policy. —