Fact check: US did not admit involvement in Imran Khan's ouster

PTI Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan on Monday shared remarks by American analyst Rebecca Grant who — according to him — "confirmed" that the "United States had a role to play in ousting Imran Khan through a vote of no-confidence."

In a series of tweets he wrote: "If anyone had any doubts [about] the US regime change conspiracy, this video should remove all doubts as to why a democratically elected PM [and] his government were removed.

"Clearly the US wants an obedient puppet as PM who will not allow [Pakistan] choice of neutrality in a European war," he wrote.

Following his tweet, several PTI leaders and supporters stepped onto the bandwagon and, within hours, the tweet went viral.

Among them was former human rights minister Shireen Mazari, who wrote: "Need more proof of US regime change conspiracy against elected PM [Imran Khan] for not kowtowing before US demands? Admission by US National Security [and] Defense analyst Dr Rebecca Grant that US had a role in ousting Imran Khan [through vote of no-confidence].

However, Fact Check Pakistan clarified that the remarks were misinterpreted. It clarified that the person these PTI leaders are quoting as “proof” that the US government was behind Imran Khan’s ouster has "nothing to do with the US government."

The portal noted that  Mazari tweeted this clip by Fox News and claimed this was proof that Imran Khan’s government was ousted by the US Government — soon after hundreds of PTI supporters’ accounts began making the same claim.

"However, the fact is that the person Ms Mazari is quoting as “proof” the US [government] was behind Imran Khan’s ouster has nothing to do with the US [government] — she has not worked for the US Govt in the past either. She is an analyst in Fox and runs her own firm IRIS Independent Research," it said in a series of tweets.

Meanwhile, economic expert Uzair Yonus also shared Mazari's tweet, mocking the former minister for "arriving at a conclusion".

"Watching Fox and making conclusions about US policy is akin to the US watching Zaid Hamid and some “defence analysts” on random Pak channels to make conclusions about Pakistan’s policies towards the West," he wrote.

Writer Bina Shah also took to her Twitter, saying: "This is Fox News, the same channel that promotes Islamophobia and anti-Muslim bigotry, approved of the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan, favoured waterboarding, calls Muslims terrorists at regular intervals etc. etc." 

"Now suddenly they're credible??" she wrote.