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Express Tribune
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
US Congressmen urge Marco Rubio to secure Imran Khan's release
Listen to article US Congressmen Joe Wilson and August Pfluger have sent a joint letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, urging him to engage with Pakistan's military regime to secure the release of former prime minister Imran Khan. The letter, dated February 25, stated that Khan's imprisonment, which began in August 2023, is the result of politically motivated charges. It refers to Khan's ouster in 2022 through a vote of no-confidence as a "suspension of democracy" in Pakistan, leading to strained ties between the two countries. Wilson, a prominent member of the House Foreign Affairs and Armed Services Committees and a close ally of US President Donald Trump, along with Pfluger, chair of the Republican Study Committee, expressed their concern about Khan's imprisonment and its implications for US-Pakistan relations. In the letter, Wilson and Pfluger assert that Khan is widely beloved in Pakistan and that his release would mark the beginning of a new era in US-Pakistan relations based on shared values of freedom. They likened Khan's situation to that of Trump, suggesting that Khan, like Trump, is a victim of judicial abuse. The congressmen also called on Rubio to work with Pakistan to restore democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and the fundamental guarantees of due process, freedom of press, freedom of assembly, and freedom of speech in the country. They stressed that Khan deserves to be treated like any other politician and should not be imprisoned for his political views. Wilson had previously posted on his X account calling for Khan's release and shared a copy of the letter to Rubio, expressing hope that US-Pakistan relations could be strengthened through respect for freedom. The letter concludes by stating that the strength of US-Pakistan relations hinges on the freedom of Imran Khan, with Wilson and Pfluger urging Rubio to act decisively.
The Independent
06-02-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
'Not a word of this was ever mentioned': Trump's Gaza policy caught his closest advisers off guard
President Donald Trump 's 'outrageous' plans for Gaza caught officials off guard and even his top advisers were unaware it was coming, according to a report. While the president's plans for the U.S. to take ownership of Gaza and turn it from 'a hellhole' to a 'Middle Eastern Riviera' was reportedly formulated 'over time,' his unveiling of the idea on Tuesday night was a shock to some of his inner-circle, CNN reported. Trump, who revealed the plans alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, did not rule out sending American troops to the war-torn enclave. One Middle East adviser to the president, speaking on the condition of anonymity with the network, said they were 'stunned' and had not heard about the plans until Trump revealed it during his press conference. But others reportedly heard about the plans in the days before the meeting with Netanyahu. Discussions around the ceasefire and wider tensions in the Middle East had been discussed with senior Republicans in recent weeks, however, aides told CNN that the specific Gaza proposal had not come up in private meetings between Trump and Republican members of the Armed Services Committees. 'Not a word of this was ever mentioned by the president,' a senior Republican aide told the network. The idea reportedly came together because Trump and his team wanted to break a 'cycle' of failed peace talks on Gaza. His closest Middle East advisers, national security adviser Mike Waltz and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, reportedly knew of the plans ahead of time and discussed the idea with the Israeli leader the night before the conference, an official told CNN. 'The notion of lather, rinse, repeat — let's do the same thing in Gaza we've done for decades isn't going to sustain,' the White House official told CNN. 'We've been in this loop, this cycle … for too long and it isn't working.' Marco Rubio, Trump's Secretary of State, only heard about the plans for the first time while watching the press conference on television, according to CNN. But when pressed further, she said it had been initially 'written in the President's remarks last night as he revealed it to the world and to the American people.' The Independent has contacted the White House for further comment. Trump claimed that 'everybody' he had spoken to about the plan 'loves the idea of the United States owning that piece of land, developing and creating thousands of jobs with something that will be magnificent.'
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Not a word of this was ever mentioned': Trump's Gaza policy caught his closest advisers off guard
President Donald Trump's 'outrageous' plans for Gaza caught officials off guard and even his top advisers were unaware it was coming, according to a report. While the president's plans for the U.S. to take ownership of Gaza and turn it from 'a hellhole' to a 'Middle Eastern Riviera' was reportedly formulated 'over time,' his unveiling of the idea on Tuesday night was a shock to some of his inner-circle, CNN reported. Trump, who revealed the plans alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, did not rule out sending American troops to the war-torn enclave. One Middle East adviser to the president, speaking on the condition of anonymity with the network, said they were 'stunned' and had not heard about the plans until Trump revealed it during his press conference. But others reportedly heard about the plans in the days before the meeting with Netanyahu. Discussions around the ceasefire and wider tensions in the Middle East had been discussed with senior Republicans in recent weeks, however, aides told CNN that the specific Gaza proposal had not come up in private meetings between Trump and Republican members of the Armed Services Committees. 'Not a word of this was ever mentioned by the president,' a senior Republican aide told the network. The idea reportedly came together because Trump and his team wanted to break a 'cycle' of failed peace talks on Gaza. His closest Middle East advisers, national security adviser Mike Waltz and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, reportedly knew of the plans ahead of time and discussed the idea with the Israeli leader the night before the conference, an official told CNN. 'The notion of lather, rinse, repeat — let's do the same thing in Gaza we've done for decades isn't going to sustain,' the White House official told CNN. 'We've been in this loop, this cycle … for too long and it isn't working.' Marco Rubio, Trump's Secretary of State, only heard about the plans for the first time while watching the press conference on television, according to CNN. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday told reporters that Trump had been working to formulate the plan for 'some time.' But when pressed further, she said it had been initially 'written in the President's remarks last night as he revealed it to the world and to the American people.' The Independent has contacted the White House for further comment. Trump claimed that 'everybody' he had spoken to about the plan 'loves the idea of the United States owning that piece of land, developing and creating thousands of jobs with something that will be magnificent.'
The Independent
05-02-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
'Not a word of this was ever mentioned': Trump's Gaza policy caught his closed advisers off guard
President Donald Trump 's 'outrageous' plans for Gaza caught officials off guard and even his top advisers were unaware it was coming, according to a report. While the president's plans for the U.S. to take ownership of Gaza and turn it from 'a hellhole' to a 'Middle Eastern Riviera' was reportedly formulated 'over time,' his unveiling of the idea on Tuesday night was a shock to some of his inner-circle, CNN reported. Trump, who revealed the plans alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, did not rule out sending American troops to the war-torn enclave. One Middle East adviser to the president, speaking on the condition of anonymity with the network, said they were 'stunned' and had not heard about the plans until Trump revealed it during his press conference. But others reportedly heard about the plans in the days before the meeting with Netanyahu. Discussions around the ceasefire and wider tensions in the Middle East had been discussed with senior Republicans in recent weeks, however, aides told CNN that the specific Gaza proposal had not come up in private meetings between Trump and Republican members of the Armed Services Committees. 'Not a word of this was ever mentioned by the president,' a senior Republican aide told the network. The idea reportedly came together because Trump and his team wanted to break a 'cycle' of failed peace talks on Gaza. His closest Middle East advisers, national security adviser Mike Waltz and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, reportedly knew of the plans ahead of time and discussed the idea with the Israeli leader the night before the conference, an official told CNN. 'The notion of lather, rinse, repeat — let's do the same thing in Gaza we've done for decades isn't going to sustain,' the White House official told CNN. 'We've been in this loop, this cycle … for too long and it isn't working.' Marco Rubio, Trump's Secretary of State, only heard about the plans for the first time while watching the press conference on television, according to CNN. But when pressed further, she said it had been initially 'written in the President's remarks last night as he revealed it to the world and to the American people.' The Independent has contacted the White House for further comment. Trump claimed that 'everybody' he had spoken to about the plan 'loves the idea of the United States owning that piece of land, developing and creating thousands of jobs with something that will be magnificent.'
