Trump aide meets Imran Khan's sons, calls for end to political prosecutions

Richard Grenell, US President Donald Trump's envoy for special missions, on Tuesday (local time) met the sons of jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan in California and once again called for the former Pakistani Prime Minister's release, terming his arrest a case of "political prosecution."

Grenell posted a photo with Imran Khan's elder son Sulaiman Isa and his second son Kasim Khan, writing that he "loved hanging out" with them and welcoming them to California.

In a post on X, Grenell wrote, "Welcome to California, my friends. I loved hanging out with you today. Sulaiman and @Kasim_Khan_1999, you must stay strong. There are millions of people around the world who are sick of political prosecutions. You are not alone."

Grenell's latest comments come amid continued criticism from PTI leaders and rights activists over Khan's detention conditions in Adiala Jail, where he has been imprisoned since August 2023.

This is not the first time the former US ambassador has supported Imran Khan. In an interview with Newsmax during Trump's election campaign, Grenell stated that the US had "a much better relationship with Pakistan" during the Trump administration, when Khan was in office.

He described Khan as a political outsider with a common-sense approach, drawing parallels between Khan's arrest and the legal challenges faced by Donald Trump in the US.

"We had a much better relationship with Pakistan during the Trump administration when a guy named Imran Khan was the leader of Pakistan. That's because Imran Khan was an outsider. He was a former cricket player and actually the captain of the Pakistani national cricket team. He wasn't a politician, and he spoke in very common-sense language. He and Donald Trump had a very good relationship," Grenell said.

"I'd like to see Imran Khan be released from jail. He's currently in prison, facing many of the same allegations as President Trump, where the ruling party put him in prison and created some sort of corruption and false allegations," he added.

Meanwhile, PTI continues to raise concerns over Khan's prison conditions. As per a Dawn report, PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqqas Akram said at a press conference on Friday that Khan is being held in a "death cell," with no access to books, television, or newspapers.

"Despite being a former prime minister, Khan was denied both his status and even the basic rights of an ordinary prisoner, which was a matter of grave concern, as he was the country's most popular leader, and the entire nation was deeply worried about his well-being and safety," Akram said.

He warned that the ongoing political and judicial pressure, coupled with poor prison conditions, was pushing Pakistan towards a "constitutional and humanitarian crisis.