Donald Lu, accused by Imran Khan of regime change role, completes diplomatic tenure

• Lu led Bureau for overseeing US ties with Pakistan since Sept 2021.
• Top envoy became embroiled in controversy based on Imran's claims. 
• PTI founder accused Lu of orchestrating his ouster as PM in April 2022. 
  

The US State Department has announced the departure of Donald Lu, the assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian Affairs, following the conclusion of his term earlier this month.

The department quietly posted a confirmation on its official website, stating that Lu's tenure ended on January 17, 2025. He had been leading the bureau responsible for overseeing US relations with Pakistan since his appointment on September 15, 2021.

During his tenure, Lu became embroiled in a major controversy stemming from allegations by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former prime minister Imran Khan, who accused the US diplomat of playing a role in his removal from office.

Khan, ousted through a parliamentary vote of no confidence led by the now-ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and its political allies in April 2022, alleged that Lu was involved in orchestrating a "foreign conspiracy”. 

The controversy first erupted on March 27, 2022, when Khan, less than a month before his removal, flashed a letter during a public rally, claiming it was a cipher from a foreign nation conspiring with his political rivals to overthrow the PTI-led government.

The cricketer-turned-politician did not disclose the contents of the letter or the name of the country involved. However, days later, he explicitly accused the United States of engineering his ouster by supporting the opposition's no-confidence motion. The cipher in question was sent by Pakistan's then-ambassador to the US, Asad Majeed.

While the State Department has consistently denied these allegations, Lu addressed the controversy, commonly referred to as "ciphergate," during his testimony before a Congressional panel in March 2024. "These allegations, this conspiracy theory, is a lie. It is a complete falsehood," he stated.

Khan's claims were followed by calls for Lu's resignation from PTI activists. However, the State Department’s announcement shows that the diplomat's departure was due to the completion of his term, not dismissal.

Lu is a foreign service officer with more than 30 years of US government service. He belongs to Huntington Beach, California, and graduated from Princeton University with both master’s and bachelor’s degrees in international relations.

Prior to this assignment, Assistant Secretary Lu served as the US Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic from 2018 to 2021 and the US Ambassador to the Republic of Albania from 2015-2018.

He has also served as special assistant to the ambassador in New Delhi (1996-1997) and political officer in Peshawar (1992-1994).