Trump’s cabinet pick sparks debate in Pakistan over Grenell’s PTI support

Donald Trump’s cabinet picks are attracting global attention, particularly Richard Grenell, whose tweet supporting PTI founder Imran Khan’s release has sparked interest in Pakistan.

With Grenell’s background as a political advisor and former CIA official, his stance raises questions about potential shifts in U.S.-Pakistan relations.

While PTI supporters in the U.S. see this as a positive development, others question whether Grenell’s appointment hints at a broader shift in Washington’s South Asia policy under Trump.

PTI North America President Sajjad Burki told Nukta, "We were hoping that he would take our point of view to Trump.”

Referring to Grenell’s post on X, he said ‘Free Imran Khan’ is a slogan that Grenell used. “What he means is to ask for the release of all political prisoners,” Burki claimed.

Senior journalist and analyst Marvi Sirmed, on the other hand, believes countries like Pakistan, Korea or other Middle Eastern nations are seeing the Trump administration as a transactional relationship.

They think that the US would not pressure the Pakistani state on releasing Imran Khan unless something is promised to them, she said. “What needs to be seen is what would Imran promise to the Trump administration,” Sirmed said.

She further suggested that the former premier might promise to curtail ties with China to gain Trump’s backing.