
'You are not alone': Trump aide meets Imran Khan's sons in US
Grenell posted a photo with Imran Khan's elder son Sulaiman Isa and his second son Kasim Khan, writing that he "loved hanging out" with them and welcoming them to California.
In a post on X, Grenell wrote, "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."
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. #freeimrankhan pic.twitter.com/TOAOjrEiM1
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) July 22, 2025
Grenell's latest comments come amid continued criticism from PTI leaders and rights activists over Khan's detention conditions in Adiala Jail, where he has been imprisoned since August 2023.
This is not the first time the former US ambassador has supported Imran Khan. In an interview with Newsmax during Trump's election campaign, Grenell stated that the US had "a much better relationship with Pakistan" during the Trump administration, when Khan was in office.
He described Khan as a political outsider with a common-sense approach, drawing parallels between Khan's arrest and the legal challenges faced by Donald Trump in the US.
"We had a much better relationship with Pakistan during the Trump administration when a guy named Imran Khan was the leader of Pakistan. That's because Imran Khan was an outsider. He was a former cricket player and actually the captain of the Pakistani national cricket team. He wasn't a politician, and he spoke in very common-sense language. He and Donald Trump had a very good relationship," Grenell said.
"I'd like to see Imran Khan be released from jail. He's currently in prison, facing many of the same allegations as President Trump, where the ruling party put him in prison and created some sort of corruption and false allegations," he added.
Meanwhile, PTI continues to raise concerns over Khan's prison conditions. As per a Dawn report, PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqqas Akram said at a press conference on Friday that Khan is being held in a "death cell," with no access to books, television, or newspapers.
"Despite being a former prime minister, Khan was denied both his status and even the basic rights of an ordinary prisoner, which was a matter of grave concern, as he was the country's most popular leader, and the entire nation was deeply worried about his well-being and safety," Akram said.
He warned that the ongoing political and judicial pressure, coupled with poor prison conditions, was pushing Pakistan towards a "constitutional and humanitarian crisis."
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The National
3 hours ago
- The National
Trump administration declassifies Russia 2016 election investigation documents
President Donald Trump 's administration on Wednesday announced it has declassified documents that allegedly prove officials under president Barack Obama distorted facts about Russia's interference in the 2016 election. In a surprise appearance in the White House briefing room, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said the report contains 'irrefutable evidence that details how President Obama and his national security team directed the creation of an intelligence community assessment that they knew was false.' This was part of a 'years-long coup and a treasonous conspiracy against the American people, our republic and an attempt to undermine President Trump's administration.' Ms Gabbard said evidence and intelligence confirm that Mr Obama 'manufactured intelligence assessment.' The 44-page report was released on Friday, and points to emails by Obama administration officials in which they concluded that Russia had not hacked election systems for more votes in Mr Trump's favour. The report was led by Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee after Mr Trump's win over Hillary Clinton in 2016. The report also said Russian intelligence services had damaging material on Ms Clinton as well as information about her health. Multiple investigations have been conducted over whether Russia interfered in the 2016, directly or through misinformation campaigns. The Russia investigation shadowed much of Mr Trump's first term in office. An investigation conducted by special counsel Robert Mueller found that the Trump campaign had welcomed the Kremlin's help, and that Mr Trump was Russia President Vladimir Putin's preferred candidate, but found insufficient evidence of criminal wrongdoing. Mr Obama's spokesman Patrick Rodenbush issued a statement responding to Ms Gabbard's claims. 'Our office does not normally dignify the constant nonsense and misinformation flowing out of this White House with a response,' he said. 'But these claims are outrageous enough to merit one. These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction.' The development comes as Mr Trump is under pressure from his Maga base, a conspiracy-minded segment of his political support, to release more details in the case of Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender. Mr Trump and Epstein socialised together on multiple occasions, before Epstein's criminal behaviour came to light. On Tuesday during an Oval Office meeting with the Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Mr Trump said Mr Obama and other officials in his administration were engaged in treason. 'It's time to go after people,' he said.


The National
4 hours ago
- The National
Trump continues attacks on Powell as White House aides to tour site of latest flashpoint
US President Donald Trump has continued his relentless pressure campaign on the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates, again calling the board to act as he says chairman Jerome Powell 'just doesn't get it'. 'Our rate should be three points lower than they are, saving us $1 trillion per year (as a country). This stubborn guy at the Fed just doesn't get it – never did, and never will. The board should act, but they don't have the courage to do so!' Mr Trump wrote on the Truth Social media platform. The latest post comes a week before the Federal Reserve 's next meeting, where it is expected to continue its pause on rate cuts. The Fed has held rates steady at 4.25 to 4.50 per cent this year after easing policy by 100 basis points towards the end of 2024, owing to uncertainty surrounding Mr Trump's tariff agenda. Mr Trump has repeatedly called for the Fed to lower rates to help service US debt, a concept known as fiscal dominance. The Fed chairman has maintained a wait-and-see approach towards rates in defiance of Mr Trump's pressure campaign. Public remarks from other Fed officials indicate broad support to keep rates on hold next week, although Fed governor Christopher Waller – a Trump appointee and reported candidate to succeed Mr Powell – previewed a dissent from his colleagues last week by arguing the Fed should lower rates by 25 basis points. As his anger over Mr Powell has increased, Mr Trump has expanded his line of attacks on the Fed chairman. Tensions reached a boiling point last week following reports that Mr Trump indicated to Republicans in Congress he was open to firing the Fed chairman. Mr Trump confirmed he brought up the idea, but said it was unlikely he would try to oust Mr Powell. The most recent flashpoint centres on renovations at the Federal Reserve's headquarters in Washington, which have ballooned to roughly $2.5 billion. White House deputy chief of staff James Blair, who has referred to the project as the 'Taj Mahal on the National Mall', said in a tweet that Trump officials were scheduled to visit the site on Thursday. The Fed released a virtual site visit on its website earlier this week. Mr Powell has linked cost overruns to unforeseen conditions, such as more asbestos than anticipated, contamination in the soil and a higher-than-expected water table. The project was first approved by the Federal Reserve Board in 2017 and is subject to annual budget approval. Still, some believe the White House could be using the Fed renovations as a pretext to fire Mr Powell. White House budget director Russell Vought said Mr Powell has 'grossly mismanaged' the Fed, pointing to the renovation costs. Fed officials can only be fired for cause, which is generally thought to be malfeasance or neglect of duty. The Supreme Court in May signalled that it would side with Mr Powell if Mr Trump were to fire him over a policy dispute. Mr Powell has repeatedly said that he would never resign as Fed chairman before his term ends in May 2026. He has not said if he would continue his role as Fed governor, which runs into 2028. Former PIMCO chief executive Mohamed El Erian broke from other prominent economists on Tuesday by suggesting Mr Powell should voluntarily step down as chairman to protect the Fed. Speaking at the World Bank, Mr El Erian questioned whether Mr Powell would expose the Fed to greater threats if he remained in his position. 'This tension between the President and the chairman of the Fed, if it continues, it will suck in more elements of the Fed,' Mr El Erian said when asked by The National, following a keynote address. Top bankers have defended Mr Powell, however, with JPMorgan Chase chief Jamie Dimon last week saying interfering with the Fed 'can have adverse consequences'. Bank of America chief executive Brian Moynihan, Citigroup executive Jane Fraser, Goldman Sachs chief executive David Solomon and Carlyle Group co-founder David Rubenstein also came to Mr Powell's defence. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Bloomberg TV that he was 'somewhat surprised' Egyptian-American Mr El Erian had called for Mr Powell's resignation. Mr Bessent also repeated his call to conduct a review of Federal Reserve activities outside monetary policy, telling Bloomberg TV that 'mission creep from the Fed is endangering their independence of monetary policy'. 'An internal review would be a good start. And if the internal review didn't look like it was serious, then maybe there could be an external review,' said the Treasury Secretary. Mr Bessent also said there is 'no rush' to identify Mr Powell's successor as Fed chairman. 'There are a lot of strong candidates, including several who are on the main board and perhaps regional bank presidents,' he said. The Federal Open Market Committee consists of the Fed chairman and the six other members of the Federal Reserve Board, the president of the New York Fed and four of the other 11 regional Fed banks that serve on a rotating basis. Other than Mr Waller, the reported candidates to succeed Mr Powell include National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett, former Fed governor Kevin Warsh and Mr Bessent himself. The Treasury secretary said there's a 'long, long list' of names to replace Mr Powell.


The National
6 hours ago
- The National
US State Department to investigate Harvard sponsorship of international student visas
The US State Department has launched an investigation into whether Harvard University should remain eligible to sponsor international student visas. The investigation comes amid heightened tension between President Donald Trump and the Ivy League university in Boston over what the Trump administration claims is anti-Israel bias. 'Visa sponsorship is a privilege, and sponsors whose conduct tarnishes our nation's interests will lose that privilege,' Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on X on Wednesday. The State Department said it would look into whether Harvard has complied with visa regulations that include 'transparency in reporting, and a demonstrated commitment to fostering the principles of cultural exchange and mutual understanding upon which the programme was founded'. It is unclear exactly how or whether Harvard has violated the programme in any way. 'This investigation is yet another retaliatory step taken by the administration in violation of Harvard's First Amendment rights,' university spokeswoman Sarah Kennedy-O'Reilly said in a statement. 'Harvard continues to enrol and sponsor international scholars, researchers and students, and will protect its international community and support them as they apply for US visas and travel to campus this [autumn]. The university is committed to continuing to comply with the applicable exchange visitor programme regulations.' The Trump administration has cracked down on foreign students who have demonstrated in support of Palestine and has attempted to force universities to address an alleged liberal bias. The administration and Harvard have been battling in court for months over issues including foreign students and federal funding. 'The American people have the right to expect their universities to uphold national security, comply with the law, and provide safe environments for all students,' the State Department said. 'The investigation will ensure that State Department programmes do not run contrary to our nation's interests.'