Pakistan’s Adviser on Political Affairs, Rana Sanaullah, stated on Tuesday that the government would not bow to any pressure from the United States, particularly from President-elect Donald Trump’s administration, regarding the release of Imran Khan.
Sanaullah emphasized that any foreign intervention in the matter would be seen as interference in Pakistan’s sovereignty. This comes in response to a tweet by Richard Grenell, a loyalist of Trump, who called for Imran Khan’s release from prison. Imran Khan, the founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, has been in Adiala jail since August of the previous year.
Grenell, who was appointed as Trump’s “envoy for special missions,” tweeted “Release Imran Khan” last month, which fueled discussions on possible US involvement in Pakistan’s internal politics.
In response, Sanaullah made it clear that Pakistan would not negotiate under pressure from any foreign power. He added that the PTI leadership had expressed satisfaction over the beginning of talks with the government, but issues related to civil disobedience were not part of the discussions.
Recently, the ruling coalition and PTI had met for talks aimed at reducing political tensions in the country. Both sides agreed to continue discussions, with PTI set to present a list of demands in the next National Assembly session on January 2.