File photo of U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price in Washington, D.C. Photo by Freddie Everett; Courtesy State Department
The United States on Monday said it believe in countering disinformation with information, as it reiterated a rejection of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s allegations of Washington instigating regime change in Pakistan.
“What we can do is counter disinformation, misinformation with information,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price told a regular press briefing while responding to a question on whether Khan’s statements risked damaging ties between Washington and Islamabad. Stressing that there was no truth to the allegations, he added: “We won’t let propaganda, we won’t let misinformation or disinformation get in the way of an important bilateral relationship, including our valued bilateral partnership with Pakistan.”
The U.S. values the “longstanding” cooperation with Pakistan, he said. “We’ve always viewed a prosperous and democratic Pakistan as critical to our interests. That remains unchanged,” he added.
Khan is currently leading a long march on Islamabad that commenced in Punjab capital Lahore on Oct. 28 and is expected to reach the federal capital sometime next week. Despite the armed forces, the ruling coalition and the U.S. repeatedly denying his allegations, he has used speeches during the long march to reiterate claims that his government was ousted through a foreign conspiracy.
To another question on general elections in Pakistan and whether the U.S. had raised the issue of ensuring free and fair polls with the government, Price said Washington always supported the peaceful upholding of constitutional and democratic principles “not just in Pakistan, around the world.”
He said these issues were discuss “with all of our partners” around the world.