US President Donald Trump greets Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan during a meeting hosted at the White House on July 22, 2019.
AFP
In a change of tone, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership has downplayed hopes that Donald Trump’s return to the White House could secure former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s release.
Earlier, PTI officials suggested that Trump’s victory might aid Khan, but party leaders now stress reliance on Pakistani institutions.
The idea was initially floated by PTI senior leader Latif Khosa who remarked that Trump’s win could be significant for Khan’s situation. "Donald Trump’s chances of winning are bright, and he could play a role in Khan’s release once elected," Khosa said during a media talk recently.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller later dismissed Khosa’s claim, stating that Khan's legal matters fall under Pakistan’s judiciary. Miller added that the U.S. has no role in influencing Pakistan's internal political landscape.
PTI officials had even hinted at Trump’s past reference to Khan as a “very good friend” as a potential diplomatic asset if Trump returned to office.
However, in comments to Nukta, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan clarified the party’s stance.
“Imran Khan’s release will come with the support of the Pakistani people,” he said. “We do not rely on any foreign country. All political cases depend on Pakistan’s internal political landscape.”
Gohar nevertheless expressed pleasure over Trump’s win, saying it reflected the democratic will of the American people and could benefit global stability.
Sheikh Waqas Akram, PTI Member National Assembly (MNA), reiterated that while the PTI’s U.S.-based supporters may celebrate Trump’s victory, they do not expect it to directly affect Khan’s fate.
“Imran Khan is fighting his cases in court, and the people of Pakistan are fighting for him on the streets,” Akram told Nukta. “Khan will get justice from these courts, God willing... we have faith in God and in the support of the Pakistani people,” he remarked.
He added that the PTI would ramp up protest efforts, with courts, parliament, and public support as their primary avenues for justice.
Sheikh underscored that the PTI’s support for Trump should not imply reliance on his potential influence, despite strong support from overseas Pakistanis in the U.S. “Obviously, when many of our members support Trump’s campaign, we can’t live in isolation. But we don’t expect Donald Trump to directly help Khan come out of prison,” he said.
He further added that the PTI leaders take pride in being Pakistani citizens, enduring “state oppression” but without foreign dependence.
Meanwhile, Khan has congratulated Donald Trump on his U.S. presidential victory in a social media post, saying the “will of the American people prevailed against all odds.”
“President-elect Trump will be good for U.S.-Pakistan relations based on mutual respect for democracy and human rights. We hope he will push for peace, human rights, and democracy globally,” Khan wrote on X.
The Foreign Office spokesperson on the other hand has dismissed rumors about foreign interference in Pakistan’s internal affairs, calling them "baseless speculation."
During her weekly briefing, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch confirmed that both President and Prime Minister of Pakistan have extended congratulations to Donald Trump on his election victory.
"Pakistan is eager to build strong bilateral relations with the United States," she added.Imran and the US factor
Khan’s legal troubles stem from his removal from the office of the Prime Minister of Pakistan in 2022 following a break with Pakistan’s powerful military establishment. Since August 2023, he has been imprisoned on charges he claims are intended to prevent his political return. Khan even accused the U.S. of supporting his removal, a charge Washington denies.
During his term, Khan cultivated a warm relationship with Trump, a bond seen as a diplomatic success for both leaders. In July 2019, Khan visited the White House, where he met Trump, who referred to him as “a very good friend.”
The two leaders met again in January 2020 at the World Economic Forum in Davos, hinting at improving U.S.-Pakistan relations.
However, this changed when President Joe Biden took office in 2021, and high-level communications with Pakistan notably declined.
In recent months, PTI hired lobbying firms in the U.S., garnering backing from several influential Pakistanis.
In October, more than 60 U.S. lawmakers called on President Biden to leverage Washington’s influence to secure Khan’s release on humanitarian grounds.
The evolving U.S.-Pakistan relationship and Khan’s legal journey remain focal points in Pakistan, with supporters holding out hope while government sources caution against reading too much into American politics.
For now, Khan’s supporters are left waiting to see how their leader’s fate unfolds on Pakistan’s domestic front.
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