Supporters of former Pakistani prime minister back Trump DW 10/21/2024

When Imran Khan was ousted from power two years ago, he was quick to blame the United States for his downfall.

Khan was removed as prime minister in 2022 following a vote of no confidence in Pakistan's Parliament. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison for corruption in January this year, weeks before Pakistan's February general elections.

However, the former cricketer turned politician claimed his country's powerful military generals and Washington orchestrated his ouster from power. This claim was unfounded, but its supporters firmly believe it.

“Historically, the United States has had influence over Pakistan's foreign and security policy, and many Pakistanis are convinced that Washington can influence Pakistani politics,” Raza Rumi, a Pakistani analyst based in the United States, told DW. United.

However, Khan's supporters only criticize the US Democratic Party, and particularly President Joe Biden, who they say did not want Khan to lead the country. They believe Khan's problems began with Republican Donald Trump's defeat in 2020.

“It is true that Biden never called Khan when he was prime minister. The Biden administration ignored Khan, and many (in Khan's administration) called on him to get in touch,” Rumi said .

Mutual appreciation

During his presidency, Trump enjoyed a good relationship with Khan. The two leaders met in Washington and exchanged compliments during their meeting.

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Trump and Khan share a similar leadership style. Both are populist politicians and are considered “political outsiders” in their respective countries.

“PTI supporters are banking on Donald Trump's victory on November 5 and believe that he would pressure the Pakistani army to change its approach towards Imran Khan. There is an exaggerated view according to “that Trump is pro-Khan because he welcomed Imran Khan to the White House and then congratulated Khan in one of his speeches,” Rumi said.

Supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, founded by Khan in the 1990s, believe the Khan-Trump alignment has been disrupted by Biden's rise to power. They now hope that Trump's potential return to the White House will make life easier for their imprisoned leader.

“The general perception in Pakistan is that Donald Trump is quite close to Imran Khan. Trump has expressed this in his interactions with the Pakistani American community and elsewhere. He has developed a good relationship with Khan,” said Jimmy Virk, a Khan based in the Middle East. supporter and journalist, told DW. “Trump likes strong leaders.”

Last week, the Pakistani-American Public Affairs Committee in the United States endorsed Trump for president, saying a “legislative coup” under Biden led to Khan's ouster. The Biden administration has repeatedly denied the allegation.

Can Trump really help Khan?

Virk said the “Washington establishment” has its own priorities, but “the president can influence policies like Trump did during his term.”

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One of the reasons behind Washington's proactive engagement with Islamabad during Trump's presidency was the protracted conflict in Afghanistan. The United States wanted to end its involvement in the war-ravaged country after spending two decades and billions of dollars there. Pakistan, which had considerable influence over the Afghan Taliban, played a key role in achieving this. Khan, at the helm at the time, was needed to make this happen.

But if Trump returns to power, will he still need Pakistan and Khan?

“When it comes to Pakistan's internal affairs, the role of the United States is exaggerated,” US-based analyst Rumi told DW. “There is no direct military aid to Pakistan, unlike in recent decades when the country was a frontline state in the US-led war on terror or in special deals Islamabad made during the cold war.

“Now the United States has indirect leverage in the form of its power on the boards of the Bretton Woods institutions, including the IMF and the World Bank, which are important to Pakistan's fragile economy .will Trump use these levers if the president-elect remains to be elected?

Virk, Khan's supporter, is optimistic that Trump will prefer Khan over other Pakistani politicians if he becomes president again.

“The vibrant Pakistani American community in the United States has developed close ties with the Trump campaign and has pledged to support Trump over Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. Trump follows a non-interventionist, anti-war policy, and he is against the “regime”. change operations” on foreign lands. “

Maria Sultan, a security analyst based in Islamabad, pointed out that ties between the United States and Pakistan tend to be more stable under a Republican administration.

“Ultimately, US elections are run by American public opinion. Because Republicans have more stable Pakistan-US relations than Democrats, Pakistanis hope that Trump will usher in a new era of stability between the two countries,” she told DW.

Why ties between Islamabad and Washington go beyond US presidents

Regardless of who sits in the White House, the United States has historically developed and maintained close ties with Pakistan due to its geopolitical objectives and security objectives in a region that includes Afghanistan, China, India and Iran.

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The volatile situation in the Middle East and the conflict between Iran and Israel could mean that the security dynamics in Pakistan's neighborhood once again become crucial for the international community. For this reason, analysts say, the role of Pakistan's military establishment is now more important to the United States than that of Khan or any other politician.

“Apparently the [military] The Pakistani apparatus has had extraordinary engagements with Saudi Arabia, especially after the escalation of the Middle East conflict,” said UAE-based security analyst and journalist Ali K. Chishti.

“Washington sees Islamabad as an ally against Tehran in the event of a conflict. There was some sort of agreement on this during the US-Pakistan strategic negotiations. As for the US elections, if Trump comes in power, the new administration will address Pakistan without much concern for Khan or other politicians.”

Referring to powerful military generals, Chishti said, “Trump knows who to engage with in Pakistan.”

Additional reporting by DW reporter Haroon Janjua in Islamabad.

Edited by: Darko Janjevic

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