Imran’s sons meet Trump aide to kick off US campaign to free father
Monitoring Desk
WASHINGTON: Incarcerated PTI Founder Imran Khan’s sons met with United States President Donald Trump’s key aide Richard Grenell on Tuesday as they kicked off a campaign calling for their father’s release from prison.
Imran’s sons — Sulaiman Khan, 28, and Kasim Khan, 26 — called attention to their father’s incarceration for the first time publicly in May.
Grenell, US special presidential envoy for special missions — known for publicly calling for Imran’s release — posted on X that he had met with Sulaiman and Kasim in California, urging them to “stay strong”.
“There are millions of people around the world who are sick of political prosecutions. You are not alone,” he added.
Imran’s sons also met with DrAsifMahmood, a Pakistani American physician who has been playing a key role in the PTI’s campaign to win over Americans.
DrMahmood, vice chairman of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), shared a picture showing he also met with Grenell, along with the ex-premier’s sons.
“Immense pride for [Kasim] and Sulaiman Khan for their bravery in fighting for their father, former prime minister Imran Khan’s freedom,” he said.
He also praised Grenell for “standing for justice and principle” and called for unity to free the PTI founder.
In December 2024, after Trump won the presidential elections, Grenell had made a series of statements and tweets over a few weeks, including a viral “Free Imran Khan!” post on X.
He sharply criticised the policies of ex-president Joe Biden’s administration toward Pakistan, particularly its handling of the country’s missile programme and Imran’s imprisonment. Subsequently, Pakistan’s political and diplomatic machinery in the US had also ramped up efforts to engage with the new Congress.
Last week, during a congressional hearing on Pakistan, Republican Congressman Christopher H. Smith suggested that the US Congress may soon urge Trump’s administration to consider imposing sanctions on countries that suppress religious freedom and violate human rights.
Speakers at the hearing, also attended by PTI’s ZulfiBukhari, discussed the rights situation in Pakistan. Democratic Congressman James McGovern stressed the need to engage and talk “about political prisoners, the future of Imran Khan … but also how you do it”.
