U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s special envoy-designate Richard Grenell has reiterated his desire to see former Prime Minister Imran Khan released from jail, evoking the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s ‘haqeeqi azadi’ slogan in the process.
In an interview with the rightwing Newsmax outlet, he likened Khan to Trump. “There are a lot of the same allegations just like President Trump, where the ruling party put him in prison and created some sort of corruption allegations and false allegations,” he claimed. “I would like to see Imran Khan be released from jail,” he added.
Responding to a question on recently imposed U.S. sanctions on entities linked to Pakistan’s ballistic missile program, he said the people of Pakistan should decide if Khan should run for office. “[The U.S.] had a much better relationship with Pakistan during the Trump administration when Imran Khan was the leader because [he] was an outsider,” he said. “He [Imran Khan] was a former cricket player, he wasn’t a politician and he spoke in very common sense language, and he and Donald Trump had a very good relationship,” he added.
This isn’t the first time Grenell has come out in support of Khan. On Nov. 26, he posted “release Imran Khan” on X, formerly Twitter, as the party marched on Islamabad’s D-Chowk. Pointing to the millions of impressions that post got, he suggested he would continue making the call since it was a “popular” sentiment. He has since threatened to end all U.S. aid to Pakistan; accused government officials of “threatening” Pakistani-Americans; and even declared “haqeeqi azadi”—a slogan used by the PTI to demand freedom from U.S. interference after the ouster of Khan as prime minister in a vote of no-confidence.
Grenell’s ceaseless tweeting for Khan is seen as a continuation of lobbying by PTI supporters in the U.S. Over the past year, U.S. Congressmen have written multiple letters to President Biden, calling for a probe into alleged human rights abuses in Pakistan and seeking the immediate release of the incarcerated PTI founder.
PTI’s mixed response
While a majority of the PTI’s senior leadership, including Zartaj Gul, Aliya Hamza and Shahbaz Gill, have welcomed Grenell’s statement, others have opted for a more cautious response.
PTI spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram said that if someone advocates for human rights “he will be welcomed.” However, he added, this did not mean the PTI wanted any interference from the U.S. in the internal affairs of Pakistan.
Similarly, PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan issued a statement stressing that the party wants Khan’s freedom in accordance with the Constitution and law of Pakistan. “PTI founder will be released through the courts,” he said, adding the party did not want the help of any other country. “PTI will neither request nor expect any interference,” he said.
His words, however, ring hollow in light of the many PTI leaders and supporters who are actively courting Grenell, urging him to act on the slightest of perceived slights.
Government pushes back
While the government has not yet issued any formal response, multiple officials have criticized Grenell’s statements as interference in Pakistan’s internal matters.
“The U.S. must respect our sovereignty,” said PMLN Senator Talal Chaudhry, rejecting any possibility of the former prime minister being released through such statements. Similarly, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said the government “would not accept any pressure” from the new U.S. administration on the matter of the PTI and its founder.
“If any intervention is made then we would consider it as interference in our sovereignty,” he added.
PPP Senator Sherry Rehman has likewise criticized Grenell’s statements, maintaining it appears to be the result of extensive lobbying from the PTI and should not be taken too seriously.