Leaked diplomatic cable details US-Pakistan talks after Imran Khan Russia visit and no-confidence move

A leaked diplomatic cable has raised fresh questions about US-Pakistan ties before Imran Khan’s removal in 2022. Drop Site News published a copy of the classified "cypher\" linked to a March 7, 2022 meeting in Washington. The document said US displeasure over Khan’s Russia trip on February 24, 2022 featured in the discussion.

Representative image

Drop Site News said Pakistan’s envoy to the US, Asad Majeed Khan, sent the cable to the Foreign Secretary in Islamabad. It recorded talks with US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu. The report also said Washington was unhappy with Khan over denial of Pakistani bases for operations tied to Afghanistan.

US-Pakistan cypher details and Donald Lu remarks

In the cable, Lu linked the Russia visit to strain in bilateral relations, according to Drop Site News. Lu was quoted as saying, \"I would argue that it has already created a dent in the relationship from our perspective. Let us just wait for a few days to see whether the political situation changes, which would mean that we would not have a big disagreement about this issue, and the dent would go away very quickly,\"

The Pakistani envoy’s assessment in the cypher added that outcomes in Islamabad could shape future dealings. The document said Lu warned that failure of the no-confidence motion would make things difficult. Lu was also quoted as saying, \"I dont think how this will be seen by Europe, but I suspect their reaction would be similar,\"

US-Pakistan cypher leak response and political reaction

Drop Site shared the alleged cypher copy on X, and its authenticity was not confirmed in the report. Still, the leak triggered debate online in Pakistan and beyond. Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf used the material to reinforce its long-running claims about foreign pressure around the no-trust move.

At a press conference in Islamabad, PTI Secretary General Barrister Salman Akram Raja cited the leaked document. Barrister Salman Akram Raja said, \"Now it has been proved that cypher was a reality. It is also true that it was stated in cypher that if no confidence movement againstand Imran Khan succeeds, then it will be in your Pakistan interest,\"

The cable dispute had already entered public politics in March 2022, before the parliamentary vote. During a rally, Khan waved a paper and described it as evidence of a plot. At that time, Khan’s government faced a no-trust effort in the National Assembly and denied wrongdoing.

US-Pakistan cypher timeline: ouster, cases, and court outcome

Khan was removed on April 10, 2022 after Pakistan’s National Assembly passed the no-confidence motion. After leaving office, Khan built a campaign around the cypher issue. Later, authorities opened a case alleging a breach of the country’s secrecy laws linked to handling of the document.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s coalition ordered an inquiry under the Official Secrets Act on July 19, 2023. On August 29, 2023, Khan was arrested in the cypher case. A special court in Islamabad convicted Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in January 2024. Each received a 10-year sentence.

Tehreek-e-Insaf challenged the verdict at the Islamabad High Court. On June 3, 2024, a two-member division bench accepted the appeals. The bench declared the sentences of Khan null and void, setting aside the earlier conviction and punishment in the cypher case.

US-Pakistan cypher report on military ties and nuclear access

Drop Site News also reported that US ties with Islamabad improved after Khan’s ouster. The outlet said relations faced strain again when then army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa did not grant Washington access to key nuclear sites. The account said this episode affected how US leaders publicly described Pakistan and its nuclear posture.

The report said the developments led then US President Joe Biden to describe Pakistan as one of the most dangerous nations in the world. Biden cited \"nuclear weapons without any cohesion,\" according to the outlet. Bajwa stepped down soon after, and Asim Munir succeeded Bajwa as Pakistan Army chief, the report added.

Drop Site News said Munir later reshaped senior command structures through constitutional change. In 2025, after three tumultuous years leading a military-backed government, Munir promoted himself to Field Marshal. The outlet said Munir created a Chief of Defence Forces post and removed the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee role.

The outlet described the shift as \"unprecedented in Pakistani history\" and said it affected nuclear oversight. It said the moves placed Munir personally in charge of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons. Drop Site News added that nuclear command checks were unified under one person, and described Munir as pro-US.

Drop Site News further reported that IMF bailouts to Pakistan were quietly linked to military supplies tied to the Ukraine conflict. The report also said Pakistan signed a Saudi defence pact that Khan’s government had opposed. The leaked cypher and its disputed claims continued to shape political messaging and legal battles.

With inputs from PTI