In a statement made on Wednesday, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif expressed that President-elect Donald Trump is not likely to advocate for the release of Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), who is currently imprisoned. Asif’s remarks came after Trump’s recent election victory for a second term in the 2024 US presidential race.
“We don’t expect Trump to call for the release of the PTI founder. Let’s wait 15 to 20 days to see what position he takes,” the minister stated during a Geo News special segment covering the US elections.
After Trump’s win, Khan congratulated him, expressing confidence that Trump would foster good relations between Pakistan and the US, focusing on mutual respect for democracy and human rights. The imprisoned leader also stated that his party hopes Trump will promote peace, human rights, and democracy worldwide.
In a related note, Omar Ayub Khan, the Opposition Leader in the National Assembly and a PTI member, also congratulated Trump and his vice president-elect, JD Vance, highlighting their victory amidst Khan’s ongoing imprisonment due to multiple convictions.
During his time as Pakistan’s prime minister, Khan had established friendly relations with the Trump administration, prompting the PTI to view Trump’s return to office as a potential advantage.
However, PTI leader Raoof Hasan emphasized that the party did not rely on Trump’s victory for Khan’s release. “We’ve never pinned our hopes on this, nor are we depending on Trump’s win. We are pursuing support through the judiciary, parliament, and protests for the release of our founder,” he explained.
Hasan further noted that there have been no discussions within the party about Trump advocating for Khan’s release and that while PTI maintains a standard interaction with the establishment, they are not in contact regarding any specific issues, including Khan’s situation.
