Trump Urges Pakistan’s Asim Munir to “Resolve” Imran Khan Crisis, Citing Diaspora Support

 

📍 By ANN News Desk | July 12, 2025 | International Affairs

 

 

 

Washington, D.C. — In a highly significant diplomatic encounter last month, former U.S. President Donald Trump privately urged Pakistan’s de facto ruler, General Asim Munir, to “resolve” the ongoing political imprisonment of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. The conversation reportedly took place during a private lunch meeting at the White House, attended by four officials from each side, including Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.

 

 

 

 

The news, first reported by Drop Site News and confirmed by journalists Ryan Grim, Waqas Ahmed, and Murtaza Hussain, sheds light on a rare and pointed intervention by Trump on behalf of Khan—who remains in solitary confinement despite widespread domestic and international concerns over his detention and the erosion of democratic processes in Pakistan.

 

 

 

“I have Pakistani friends who helped me win the election. I have many Pakistani friends also. You need to resolve this issue,” Trump told Munir, addressing him as “Field Marshal,” according to sources familiar with the meeting.

 

 

The conversation reflects Trump’s deep ties with the Pakistani-American community—many of whom have been vocal supporters of Imran Khan. During the 2016 and 2020 U.S. elections, Pakistani-Americans contributed significantly to Trump’s outreach and campaign efforts in several swing states.

 

Trump’s defense of Khan may stem not only from strategic interest but also from personal admiration. Both leaders, once global celebrities known for their flamboyant lifestyles in the 1980s and 1990s, entered politics as anti-establishment populists. During Trump’s first term, Khan and he shared notably warm relations, often praising each other in public forums.

 

 

 

Yet, their careers took a turn amid confrontations with their respective deep states. In Khan’s case, that confrontation led to his ouster in 2022 following what many experts describe as a coordinated campaign by Pakistan’s military establishment—allegedly supported by the Biden administration—to destabilize his government.

 

 

 

 

Khan’s removal came shortly after the leak of a classified diplomatic cable—often referred to as “The Cipher”—in which U.S. diplomats reportedly threatened Pakistan with consequences if Khan remained in power. The cable, published by Grim and Hussain, documents a meeting between U.S. and Pakistani officials in which concerns were raised over Khan’s neutrality in the Russia-Ukraine war and his public criticism of U.S. foreign policy.

 

 

 

 

 

A no-confidence vote was orchestrated weeks later, triggering a chain of events that led to Khan’s arrest and solitary confinement. His party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), nevertheless swept the February 2024 general elections. However, the military establishment is widely accused of rigging the outcome, installing pliant political figures under a thin democratic veneer.

 

Trump’s remarks reportedly echo calls from the Pakistani diaspora, including business leaders and human rights advocates, who continue lobbying for Khan’s release. A growing number of Pakistani-Americans have expressed frustration with both Islamabad’s military clampdown and the Biden administration’s silence on the issue.

“Trump understands that millions of Pakistani-Americans support Khan because he represents civilian supremacy and anti-corruption reforms,” said a Pakistani-American businessman involved in diaspora outreach.

 

Human rights groups have raised alarms over Khan’s conditions in custody. Reports suggest he has limited access to legal counsel, is kept in solitary confinement, and is barred from regular contact with his family. Despite his imprisonment, Khan remains one of the most popular leaders in Pakistan’s modern political history, symbolizing the struggle between democratic reform and military control.

 

 

 

 

Trump’s intervention may shift dynamics, especially if he regains political momentum ahead of the 2024 U.S. elections. His strong messaging also highlights the potential role of diaspora influence in foreign policy decisions—especially regarding allies like Pakistan, where civil-military imbalance continues to raise serious democratic concerns.