Call it diplomatic naivete or disregard of how delicate matters of statecraft or international diplomacy are dealt with, Prime Minister Imran Khan tried to pull a proverbial rabbit from the inner pocket of his navy-blue waistcoat in the form of a folded A4 size paper during his marathon monologue lasting almost two hours at the Islamabad Parade Ground rally on March 27. He revealed that a “foreign-funded conspiracy” was in place to pull his government down through a no-confidence resolution moved by the combined opposition.

PM Khan was reported to have said: “We have been threatened in writing but we will not compromise on national interests.” He accused some of the opposition politicians of working in tandem with the unnamed foreign forces to end his government. “The letter I have is proof [of this plot]. I dare anyone who doubts this letter. I will invite them off the record. We have to decide for how long we will have to live like this. We are getting threats. There are things about the foreign conspiracy which will be shared soon…. I am revealing the evidence we have. I can’t talk in greater detail because I have to protect the interest of my country. I can’t talk in a way that harms my country. I could have told you about it. I do not fear anyone but I care about Pakistan’s interests.”

Just as the prime minister was talking about an international conspiracy against him and his government, some smart vendors were cashing in on his persistent anti-US tirade by selling T-shirts printed with the “Absolutely Not” slogan.

Many supporters of Imran Khan had gone into jubilant frenzy on social media when in a television conversation with Jonathan Swan of Axios HBO last June, Khan had stunned the interviewer by saying that Pakistan would “absolutely not” allow US military bases in Pakistan from where CIA-led operation might be carried out into Afghanistan. “Really,” Swan had said in apparently disbelief.

Khan’s grandstanding on Sunday was neither his first such act nor likely to be the last time he had made a claim he couldn’t back up with detail or evidence. In the last week of October 2012, he was taken off an international flight from Canada to New York and questioned allegedly for his views on “drone strikes and jihad”.

“I was taken off the plane and interrogated by US immigration [officials] in Canada on my views on drones. My stance is known. Drone attacks must stop,” he had tweeted soon after the incident and added: “Missed flight and sad to miss the fundraising lunch in NY but nothing will change my stance.”

Some [diplomats] have spoken of their concern, asking what if a few thousands of Khan’s supporters believe in the “nefarious” role being played by the United States in Pakistan’s internal politics aimed at ousting Imran Khan’s administration, as often referred to in Khan’s public speeches, and decide to march on to US embassy or a consulate building?

The incident got the Pakistan Peoples Party government at the time, its ambassador in Washington, and the US embassy officials in Islamabad into a sticky situation. While diplomacy was tested to get Khan out, some US officials, choosing to remain anonymous, challenged Khan’s tweeted narrative. They said the real reason to stop and question Khan was not to ask him about his stance on terrorism, jihad or drone strikes in Pakistan but to make sure he understood the possible violation of visa conditions as fundraising and addressing suspected political rallies would have contravened rules. It was said that Khan’s visa for that particular trip allowed him only to visit friends and family and not to raise funds for his hospital or political party.

Faced with the first major political challenge where his administration is not underpinned by the support for the country’s powers that be, Khan is finding it hard to admit that he has been checkmated by his political opponents. He has undoubtedly mobilised millions of young men and women and does not want their support and votes to wither away in the coming months. In blaming the United States, without naming the country, Khan is using a familiar ruse also employed by some of his predecessors too when they found themselves in a soup.

As chief executive of the country he is known to have desired not only to be called by the POTUS after assuming charge but also repeatedly expressed the wish to return to the golden days of US-Pakistan diplomatic relations. He has unilaterally offered to mediate between Washington and Beijing just like he had spoken about the possibility of playing a mediatory role between Saudi Arabia and Iran and more recently between Russia and Ukraine. Expressing surprise at Khan’s logic about the superpower’s foreign policy choices, US diplomats do talk about possible harm to US-Pakistan relations due to some recent unwarranted and undesirable statements.

Some of them have spoken of their concern asking what if a few thousands of Khan’s supporters believe in the “nefarious” role being played by the United States in Pakistan’s internal politics aimed at ousting Imran Khan’s administration, as often referred to in Khan’s public speeches, and decide to march on to US embassy or a consulate building. Such an incident can have serious consequences for the friendly ties between the two countries that have a history of good relations for over 70 years.

Perplexed by Khan’s public pronouncements on diplomatic issues, some Foreign Office veterans wonder if Khan really knows the value of US-Pakistan ties. “From recent US help against Covid-19 to deep-rooted defence ties to commercial relations and support in our interaction with international financial institutions to mutual cooperation in bringing an end to war in Afghanistan – the list is long.” They hope better sense will prevail.

The writer works for the Jang/Geo Group. He tweets @aamirghauri