ISLAMABAD: Ousted prime minister Imran Khan has said that he didn’t want backing of any foreign power to form government in the country.

“I don”t want any support from foreign governments to get into power,” Khan said while speaking to an Indian media outlet. “Let the people of Pakistan decide whoever they think is best to rule or govern the country.”

Khan claimed he had evidence that the United States demanded change. He alleged that, on March 7, 2022, US Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, Donald Lu, sent a message to him through Pakistan’s ambassador to the US, Asad Majeed Khan: “If I'm removed, then all will be forgiven.”

“Now there is this American official, threatening our ambassador,” Khan said. He's asked for an inquiry into his allegations that the US has participated in regime change. “There is no truth to these allegations,” a US State Department spokesman said in April after he first made the claim.

“Rather than having a roadmap to fix the economy, all they’re doing is trying to get rid of the corruption cases of billions of rupees.” Khan argued his policies on Afghanistan, Russia and China had upset Washington — he was in Moscow the day Putin’s troops crossed the border. He says he was there to negotiate wheat and oil supplies and, while the timing was bad, he didn't know what was about to occur.

Imran Khan said the people of Pakistan believe even a poor democracy would be better than martial law. Because, when the martial law comes, “we go back to square one.” “My government was replaced by a government where 60 per cent of the cabinet is on bail,” Khan said.