He stressed that tensions have risen since the advent of Biden
Former Pakistani ambassador: America did not seek to overthrow Imran Khan
Khan hastened to accuse America of conspiracy.
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Relations between the two countries are based on common interests.
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Khan's allegations of a US plot to overthrow him cannot be verified on the basis of the facts, as they are not fully known.
As a result, we have to rely on circumstantial evidence, media leaks, and speculation.
Perhaps a historical look at the relations between the United States and Pakistan can inform our understanding of this issue.
Over the past six decades, the relationship between Washington and Islamabad has served some critical interests for both countries.
During this period, they had three major engagements, all of which were driven by the short-term need of the United States to advance its security and strategic interests, and Pakistan's long-term need for Washington's economic and strategic care.
To the credit of the United States, in the first participation during the early years of Pakistan's history, the strengthening of defense capabilities and economic development, which led to the stability of the newly formed country.
But this was the last time the United States really helped Pakistan.
In subsequent engagements, the regimes in Islamabad benefited more than the country itself.
vital relationship
Pakistan has made poor policy choices by relying on outside assistance, and the United States and other beneficiaries of this dependency have taken advantage of its security and strategic interests.
Washington played an important role, in particular, in the imbalance of power and structural weakness of the elite-based system in Pakistan, and eventually became an external pillar of support for the system, and this led to the creation of wrong policies on both sides.
Successive regimes in Islamabad have courted America and have done their best to maintain the relationship.
And the United States did not get anything that its leadership did not give of its own accord, often to advance personal and class interests, but sometimes for the greater national interest.
To their credit, Pakistani leaders, civilian and military alike, have also stood up to US pressure when it comes to important national interests, as in the case of Pakistan's nuclear program or relations with China.
Outside of Pakistan, the United States remains a force in the internal political dynamics of many countries.
Washington attempts to influence, and sometimes manipulate or coerce, leaders around the world.
But the truth is that in most countries, including Pakistan, where the United States does not have vital, sustainable interests, it does so through its relationships with governments in power.
The system is working
In any case, the current US need for Pakistan is not so great that it calls for tough action to pursue regime change.
Washington simply did not need to take such a step.
Even if it did, Washington would not succeed, because Pakistan could withstand external pressure if it wanted to.
Pakistan is under pressure only when it comes to the survival of the regime, or when the interest of the regime is at stake.
For all its flaws, Pakistan's constitutional process and democratic system of government are working.
The strength of the Pakistani regime was finally demonstrated in the Supreme Court's decision to reinstate the National Assembly, and the subsequent developments that led to the peaceful change of government.
Thus, Pakistan is not a banana republic, and it has flexibility.
The plot that wasn't
Imran Khan and his outgoing government alleged that the United States conspired with the opposition to oust him through a vote of no confidence.
As evidence, Khan claimed that US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Donald Law, threatened regime change in his meeting with Pakistan's ambassador to the United States on March 7.
But Khan has not provided any evidence of such a threat, nor could he have done, as he claims was made during a secret diplomatic conversation.
It is inconceivable that the American official had threatened to remove Khan.
Perhaps Donald Law used harsh or blunt language on a sensitive topic, making his comments seem more serious than they were.
Or maybe it was just an example of poor communication.
However, the end result was a message that became an easy way to manipulate for political ends.
Khan's supporters exaggerate this, as an example of Khan's punishment for his "independent" foreign policy.
But that was not the case.
Does India not have an independent foreign policy and excellent relations with Washington?
India, like Pakistan, upset America with its support for Russia.
If Pakistan has come under more pressure, it is because of the poor timing of Khan's visit to Moscow, and Pakistan's subordinate position.
However, the visit was not the only reason;
Tensions between Washington and Khan have been rising since the Biden administration took office.
It was not because of Khan's "independent" foreign policy, but because of a possible sense of disappointment that his country, made by an elite dependent on outside help;
Defying reality at the expense of the interests of both countries.
Diplomatic contact
It is possible that US diplomats in Islamabad have told the opposition of their dissatisfaction with Khan, hoping to weaken his political support.
If this is true, then this was as far as Washington's "interference" goes.
This would be nothing new, as Washington has been part of the Pakistani political landscape, in this way for decades.
Diplomats around the world reach out to all politicians, including the opposition, and listen to their positions on the relations between their countries.
In light of all this, it was a huge mistake for the prime minister of a country facing several challenges, to use a piece of classified information - related to a verbal diplomatic exchange with the possibility of miscommunication - about a major political move, which requires clear evidence before the legislative institutions and the public.
Khan thus plunged the country into constitutional peril and economic uncertainty, with all its attendant political instability.
The bottom line is that if Khan had found a private diplomatic contact with an implicit threat, he would have called for a strong initiative toward Washington;
But he erred by announcing it to the public, and claiming that this contact was evidence of a plot to deport him, without showing the evidence, which of course cannot be shown.
* Tawkeer Hussain is Assistant Professor at Georgetown University and a Fellow of the Institute of South Asian Studies at the National University of Singapore. He also served as a former ambassador to Pakistan and diplomatic advisor to the Prime Minister.
• If Pakistan has come under more pressure, it is because of the bad timing of Khan's visit to Moscow, and Pakistan's subordinate position.
• Pakistan has made poor policy choices, by relying on foreign assistance, and the United States and other beneficiaries of this dependency have taken advantage of its security and strategic interests.
• It is possible that US diplomats in Islamabad have informed the opposition of their dissatisfaction with Khan, hoping to weaken his political support. If this is true, then this was as far as Washington's "interference" goes.
• Washington played an important role in the imbalance of power and the structural weakness of the elite-based regime in Pakistan, and eventually became an external pillar to support the regime. This led to the creation of faulty policies on both sides.
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