The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) seems entrenched in an illusion that Donald Trump’s possible victory in the U.S. presidential election will somehow lead to the release of their imprisoned founder.
The party, which many accuse of prioritizing personal agendas over national interests, has fueled unrealistic hopes among its supporters.
Despite the pressing issues facing Pakistan, PTI appears singularly focused on securing its founder’s freedom, believing each political shift in the U.S. may somehow benefit their cause.
Reports indicate that some PTI leaders have told their members that Trump’s presidency would expedite their leader’s release, as though the U.S. election is being fought with the PTI founder’s freedom as a central issue.
Political analysts and experts, however, strongly dismiss this notion, pointing out that national interests take precedence in U.S. foreign policy and are unlikely to shift over individual political figures in Pakistan.
There is no evidence in Trump’s campaign or speeches that he has any focus on PTI’s founder, and such assumptions ignore the broader priorities of U.S. international relations.
This point was further clarified by a White House spokesperson, Matthew Miller, who recently stated that the legal proceedings against PTI’s founder are strictly an internal matter for Pakistan, and the U.S. has no interest in interfering.
Even Sajid Tarar, a prominent Trump supporter and head of “Muslims for Trump,” emphasized in a televised interview that Trump’s connection to PTI’s founder was solely professional during his tenure as Prime Minister of Pakistan.
He highlighted that it is unrealistic to expect any foreign power to intervene in another nation’s judiciary.
Defense analysts also agree that the U.S. has complex, high-stakes matters with Pakistan, especially in the wake of its withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Relations between the U.S. and Pakistan are shaped by broader security interests and shared regional challenges, not by individual cases of political detainees.
Any expectations to the contrary reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of international diplomacy and are seen by many as politically immature. For PTI, it may be time to recognize the realities of Pakistan’s judicial system and focus on the national interests that truly matter.
