ISLAMABAD: Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election has raised hopes among Imran Khan’s supporters that his time in Adiala Jail may soon be over.
With Trump defeating Kamala Harris in a closely contested presidential race, PTI leader Zulfi Bukhari congratulated the US president-elect, and expressed hope that Trump would take a stand for peace, human rights, and the resolution of injustices- —both abroad and within Pakistan.
Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, however, said that the Pakistani government does not expect US President-elect Donald Trump to call for Imran Khan’s release from prison once he assumes office.
“We don’t think Trump will advocate for the release of PTI’s founder. Let’s wait for 15 to 20 days and see what position he takes,” Asif said during an interview with a private news channel on Wednesday.
Following Trump’s win, Imran Khan, who has been imprisoned for over a year, congratulated the US president-elect on X (formerly Twitter).
In his message, PTI’s founding chairman expressed hope that Trump’s leadership would foster better Pakistan-US relations based on mutual respect for democracy and human rights. He also hoped that Trump would advocate for global peace, human rights, and democracy.
PTI Leaders Congratulate Trump
Meanwhile, PTI’s Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Omar Ayub Khan, also congratulated Trump and his vice president-elect, JD Vance, on their electoral victory.
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During his tenure as Pakistan’s prime minister, Imran Khan maintained a positive relationship with the Trump administration, which PTI views as beneficial for Pakistan-US ties. This is likely why the party sees Trump’s return to power as a potential advantage.
Never Relied on Trump for Imran Khan’s Release: Raoof Hasan
However, PTI leader Raoof Hasan clarified that the party never placed its hopes on Trump’s victory for Khan’s release. “We never relied on Trump’s win. Our efforts for Khan’s release are focused on the judiciary, parliament, and peaceful protests,” he stated.
Raoof also mentioned that PTI had not discussed seeking Trump’s intervention within its parliamentary party.
He said that PTI maintains “normal interaction” with Pakistan’s establishment but reiterated that the party is not seeking any special favour regarding Imran Khan’s release.
