NYCFPA condemns the US PTI to rally at Trump’s oath-taking for Imran’s release

NYCFPA condemns the US PTI to rally at Trump’s oath-taking for Imran's release
Credit: Reuters

NYCFPA criticizes the oath ceremony of US President Donald Trump. When US President-elect Donald Trump takes the oath of office in Washington on January 20, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) intends to begin a campaign to free its leader, Imran Khan. The PTI plans to use images and videos that emphasize the role of state institutions and purported human rights abuses in Pakistan to deploy vehicles. While several locations close to Capitol Hill and the White House will stay closed because of the event, these vehicles will be able to travel on public highways. During continued talks with the party, the campaign seeks to increase pressure on the Pakistani government. Meanwhile, American political circles continue to advocate for Khan’s release, escalating calls for international action. However, according to insiders, President-elect Trump and his team should prioritize the Middle East situation, the economy, congressional approval of nominees, US domestic difficulties, and a shift in foreign policy above the PTI founder’s release. 

To put greater pressure on Pakistan, the PTI is making a significant effort to obtain additional comments about the release of PTI founders, such as Richard Grenell. However, those criticizing the PTI’s efforts in the US claim that the party, which previously ran an anti-American campaign with the slogan “get freedom from America,” is now calling for the PTI leader to be released from the same nation. Funding for the PTI’s campaign in America is undoubtedly plentiful, but those occupied with social media campaigns fail to acknowledge their prior involvement in the anti-American movement.

Grenell, a close confidant of Trump, gained notoriety in Pakistan when he called for Imran’s release after he was overthrown in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in April 2022. Trump’s ally tweeted, “Release Imran Khan,” on November 26, the day after police began a late-night onslaught on PTI demonstrators advancing on D-Chowk in Islamabad. In an earlier interview with a US media source, Grenell claimed that because “he was an outsider,” the US and Pakistan had a far better connection during the Trump administration when Imran Khan was the country’s leader.

Critics suggest that the US PTI’s choice of attracting attention to Imran Khan’s arrest by holding a demonstration at Trump’s oath-taking ceremony diminishes the credibility of their cause by confusing domestic political objectives with US political occurrences. NYCFPA wonders if this strategy runs the danger of insulting possible friends and taking concentration away from important legal and diplomatic channels to get Khan away. The spectacle of such an occasion could generate news, but it’s unclear if it will have a significant effect.

Author

  • NYCFPA Editorial

    The New York Center for Foreign Policy Affairs (NYCFPA) is a policy, research, and educational organization headquartered in New York State with an office in Washington D.C. NYCFPA is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan, institution devoted to conducting in-depth research and analysis on every aspect of American foreign policy and its impact around the world. The organization is funded by individual donors. The organization receives no corporate or government donations.

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