Why are Trump's close associates advocating for Imran Khan's release?

Why are Trump's close associates advocating for Imran Khan's release?

The newly elected President of the United States, Donald Trump, during his first term as President, established a close relationship with Pakistan's then-Prime Minister, Imran Khan.

At the time, intense protests were taking place in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad. Richard Grenell, a close associate of newly elected U.S. President Donald Trump, called for the release of Pakistan's former Prime Minister and imprisoned leader, Imran Khan. In November, a social media post by Grenell advocating for this demand went viral.

On the same day, Grenell wrote in another tweet, “Look at Pakistan. A leader like Trump is imprisoned there on false charges. The people there have been inspired by the U.S. Red Wave (the symbolic color of Trump’s Republican Party). End political cases and vindictive actions worldwide.” This tweet was later deleted.

Both of Grenell’s tweets garnered hundreds of thousands of views. After winning the U.S. presidential election on November 4, Trump appointed Grenell as a presidential envoy on a special mission on December 15. The next day, December 16, Trump’s close ally once again called for Imran's release. By then, Grenell’s post had surpassed tens of millions of views.

Grinnell's statement gained further significance when another Republican leader and former Trump nominee for U.S. Attorney General, Matt Gaetz, also wrote, "Free Imran Khan."

These posts on X (formerly Twitter) signal growing support for Imran Khan's party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Since August 2023, the party has been actively protesting to demand their leader's release.

However, many analysts remain skeptical about why Trump allies are showing such interest in Imran Khan. Trump's associates appear to be framing it as meaningful pressure to secure the former Pakistani Prime Minister's release. Some are even calling it a twist of fate for PTI, pointing out that Pakistan's most popular political party is now lobbying for U.S. support. Ironically, less than three years ago, the same party accused Washington of playing a role in removing Imran Khan from power.

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After holding power for almost four years, Imran Khan's government was ousted through a no-confidence vote in Parliament in April 2022.

Imran claimed that his removal was the result of a conspiracy orchestrated by the United States, with the collaboration of Pakistan's influential military. He also called on his supporters to organize protests and demonstrations across the country. Both the United States and Pakistan strongly rejected these allegations.

Since then, Imran and his party members have been facing repression from Pakistan's current government. Since August 2023, he has been imprisoned on multiple charges. Additionally, in February of the previous year, his party's symbol, the cricket bat, was banned from being used in national elections. As a result, the party's nominated candidates were forced to contest as independent candidates.

After the removal of Imran Khan, there has been some improvement in the relationship between Pakistan and the United States. In May 2022, the U.S. appointed Donald Blome as its ambassador to Pakistan, a position that had been vacant since August 2018.

During the period of repression against Imran Khan and his party, officials from the Biden administration largely remained silent, stating that it was an internal matter for Pakistan. However, many members of the Pakistani community living in the U.S., most of whom are supporters of Imran Khan and PTI, have been lobbying U.S. politicians for his release.

Hassan Abbas, a professor at the National Defense University in Washington D.C., told Al-Jazeera, "The vocal advocacy for Imran Khan's release by the Pakistani community in the U.S. has added complexity to the relationship between the two countries."

Due to the efforts of the Pakistani community, a hearing on the "Future of Democracy in Pakistan" was held in the U.S. Congress in March 2023, where members from both the Democratic and Republican parties urged President Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken to investigate the controversial elections scheduled for February 2024 in Pakistan.

Later, in October 2023, more than 60 lawmakers from Biden's Democratic Party called on him to use U.S. influence on Islamabad to secure Imran Khan's release. In the following month, just days before the U.S. presidential election, senior PTI leader Atif Khan met with Lara Trump, the daughter-in-law of former President Donald Trump, and discussed concerns about Imran Khan's imprisonment.

However, Islamabad dismissed comments from Trump’s associates, and last month, Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that they seek a relationship based on mutual respect, shared interests, and non-interference in each other's internal affairs.