- Trucks will display images of alleged human rights violations in Pakistan.
- Critics accuse the PTI of contradicting its past anti-US stance.
- Trump’s team focused on US issues and probably did not prioritize the PTI leader.
NEW YORK: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) plans to launch a campaign for the release of its leader Imran Khan during the swearing-in ceremony of US President-elect Donald Trump in Washington on January 20 . News reported.
Sources reveal that PTI intends to deploy trucks using photos and videos highlighting alleged human rights violations in Pakistan and the role of state institutions. These trucks will operate on open roads, while some areas near the Capitol and the White House will remain closed due to the event.
The campaign aims to step up pressure on the Pakistani government amid ongoing negotiations with the party, while political circles in the United States continue to forcefully advocate for Khan’s release, amplifying calls for action on the world stage.
However, sources said President-elect Trump and his team are expected to focus more on US domestic issues, the economy, Congressional approval of nominations, the situation in the Middle East and foreign policy change than on the release of the PTI founder.
A major effort of the PTI is to get a few more statements on the release of the PTI founder, such as that of Richard Grenell, in order to increase the pressure on Pakistan.
However, circles opposed to the PTI’s efforts in the United States say that the party, which in the past had campaigned against America raising the slogan of freedom from it, was now demanding the release of the PTI leader from the same country.
It is a fact that there is no shortage of funds for the PTI campaign in America, while people campaigning on social media do not mention their role in the anti-American campaign of the past.
Grenell, who is also a close confidant of Trump, attracted attention in Pakistan when he demanded the release of Imran, who was ousted in April 2022 through a parliamentary vote of no confidence.
“Release Imran Khan,” the Trump ally tweeted on November 26 – the day authorities launched a nighttime crackdown on PTI protesters marching on Islamabad’s D-Chowk.
Earlier, while speaking to an American media outlet, Grenell had said that the United States had much better relations with Pakistan during the Trump administration, when Imran Khan was the leader of Pakistan, because “he was a stranger.”
“He (Imran Khan) was a former cricketer, he was not a politician and he spoke in very sensible language, and he and Donald Trump had a very good relationship,” he said.
Reiterating his demand for Imran’s release, he said: “There are many of the same allegations, just like those of President Trump, where the ruling party put him in jail and created some kind of corruption allegations and false allegations.”
Grenell served in several critical positions during the first Trump administration, including U.S. ambassador to Germany, special envoy for peace negotiations in Serbia and Kosovo, and acting director of national intelligence.
PTI leaders including Zartaj Gul and Aliya Hamza welcomed Grenell’s statements, with PTI spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram saying that if anyone stands up for human rights, “he will be welcome” .
“We are grateful for this statement but it does not mean that we want interference (in the country’s internal affairs),” he said.