Comments by Imran Khan could negatively impact US-Pakistan ties: Diplomatic observers

Diplomatic observers say the recent statements by Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan regarding Washington's role in an alleged "foreign conspiracy" to oust him from power could have a negative impact on bilateral relations and could make US officials more careful in interacting with Pakistani officials.

Diplomatic observers say the recent statements by Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan regarding Washington's role in an alleged "foreign conspiracy" to oust him from power could have a negative impact on bilateral relations and could make US officials more careful in interacting with Pakistan officials.

PM Imran Khan in his address to the nation on Thursday named the United States as the country that was allegedly behind the letter, but then quickly corrected himself, saying that it was another country and not America, reported Dawn.

The United States on Thursday rejected insinuations made by the Pakistani PM. "There is no truth to these allegations," a US spokesperson said.

The commentary made by the top Pakistani leader is hinting toward the 'growing frustration in Washington' over the Islamabad allegations, as per the newspaper.

According to the diplomatic observers, embassies and officials of the host nation often use informal meetings to convey "thoughts and feelings" that cannot be sent through proper diplomatic channels.

"Embassies are like listening posts. They hear many things and share those with their government for them to read and analyze," said one such observer adding, "But if you make officials of the host nation feel embarrassed, they will not talk to you and your embassy will no longer be a listening post."

Moreover, as per a scholar of South Asian affairs Michael Kugelman, at the Wilson Center, Washington "over the history of US-Pakistan relations, it's been quite common for officials on both sides, in private conversations, to vent and share personal and negative assessments on current developments."

He termed these allegations made by the Pakistani Prime Minister as "a stretch (of the conversations) to liken this to a threat, much less an indication of regime change."

( With inputs from ANI )