‘You Aren’t Alone’: Trump Aide’s Message to Imran Khan’s Sons in UK

New Delhi: Richard Grenell, US President Donald Trump's envoy for special missions, met with Sulaiman Isa and Kasim Khan, sons of jailed former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, in California on Tuesday (local time).

Grenell, who has been a consistent supporter of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder, shared a photo with the brothers on social media platform X, along with a strong message against what he described as “political prosecutions.”

“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,” wrote Grenell. 

Grenell’s meeting comes at a time when Imran Khan’s arrest and detention conditions in Adiala Jail continue to draw serious concern.

Khan has been imprisoned since August 2023, and PTI leaders have repeatedly claimed that his incarceration is politically motivated.

Human rights activists and legal observers have also questioned the transparency of the proceedings against Khan, who remains Pakistan’s most popular political figure.

Not Grenell’s First Show of Support

Grenell has publicly spoken in support of Khan multiple times over the past year. 

During Trump’s election campaign, he compared Khan’s legal troubles with the ones faced by Donald Trump.

“We had a much better relationship with Pakistan during the Trump administration when a guy named Imran Khan was the leader… He wasn’t a politician. He was an outsider—just like Trump—and they had a good relationship,” Grenell had said.

“I’d like to see Imran Khan be released from jail. He’s facing many of the same tactics as President Trump—political imprisonment, corruption charges, and manufactured cases,” he added.

Back in Pakistan, concerns over Khan’s treatment in custody continue to escalate. At a press conference last week, PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqqas Akram revealed that Khan is being kept in a “death cell” without access to books, newspapers, or television.

“Despite being a former prime minister, Khan has been denied even the basic rights of a regular prisoner. The nation is deeply concerned about his health, safety, and well-being,” Akram said.