Possible Impact of US Presidential Election on Pakistani Politics: Can Donald Trump Secure the Release of His ‘Friend’ Imran Khan?
A few PTI leaders think that if Donald Trump is re-elected, he might work to secure the release of his “good friend” Imran Khan. In a recent interview with Pakistan’s Dawn News, PTI National Assembly member Latif Khosa was asked if Trump could play a role in Khan’s release, to which Khosa responded, “100 percent, I have no doubt. Trump would support listening to the people's voice in Pakistan.”
Ishpata News Webdesk:
As the results of the U.S. presidential election unfold, Donald Trump has gained a decisive lead in key swing states, with his address to supporters expected shortly.
The implications of the U.S. election are not only significant for the American public but are also closely watched worldwide, as the policies of the next resident of the White House will affect various nations, including Pakistan. Relations between the U.S. and Pakistan have been marked by fluctuations, and once again, Pakistani leaders are keenly observing the American election, especially the members of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the party led by former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
During his tenure as Prime Minister, Imran Khan visited the White House in 2019, when Donald Trump was the President. Their meeting was highly amicable, with Trump even referring to Imran Khan as his “good friend” in front of reporters. However, in 2020, Trump lost the presidential election to Joe Biden, and Pakistan-U.S. relations cooled, with no direct communication between Biden and Khan. After Khan’s ouster in 2022 through a no-confidence motion, he claimed that the U.S. had a hand in his government’s downfall, although he later shifted blame toward Pakistan's military leadership.
Since August of the previous year, Imran Khan has been embroiled in numerous legal battles and remains in custody at Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi. Some PTI members believe that the U.S. presidential election outcome might ease their leader's predicament.
A few PTI leaders think that if Donald Trump is re-elected, he might work to secure the release of his “good friend” Imran Khan. In a recent interview with Pakistan’s Dawn News, PTI National Assembly member Latif Khosa was asked if Trump could play a role in Khan’s release, to which Khosa responded, “100 percent, I have no doubt. Trump would support listening to the people's voice in Pakistan.”
This is not the first time that Imran Khan’s legal troubles have drawn attention in the U.S. In the past, American senators and congress members have advocated for his release. In late October, over 60 members of the Democratic Party wrote a letter to President Joe Biden, urging him to leverage U.S. influence in Pakistan to ensure the release of political prisoners, including Imran Khan, and to prevent human rights abuses. However, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed this letter, citing it as based on a misunderstanding of the country’s political landscape.
Recently, the Pakistani American Public Affairs Committee also endorsed Donald Trump, expressing confidence that the Republican candidate would improve U.S.-Pakistan relations and advocate for the release of unjustly detained political prisoners in Pakistan. This letter also accused the Biden administration of involvement in destabilizing Khan’s government in Pakistan, a claim repeatedly denied by the U.S. administration.
