ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan American Public Affairs Committee (PAKPAC USA) has endorsed Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump to run in the upcoming US elections on November 5, citing what it described as a “legislative coup” by the Pakistani government under the Biden administration that led to the ouster of the PTI founder. Imran Khan, who remains imprisoned.
In the United States, political action committees refer to organizations that collect campaign contributions from members and use those funds to support or oppose candidates, ballot initiatives, or legislation.
PAKPAC USA, an organization promoting Pakistani interests in the US Congress, claims to aim to promote democracy in Pakistan without supporting or opposing any particular political party or group.
Imran Khan was removed from office in 2022 after the opposition invoked Article 95 of the Constitution and successfully brought a motion of no confidence against him.
Khan has consistently argued that his government was overthrown as part of a US-backed plot, accusing the Biden administration of orchestrating change due to his push for an independent foreign policy. According to Khan, the current administration, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, was “imposed” on the country in the wake of this alleged plot.
PAKPAC USA, in a statement issued on social media platform In Pakistan.
The statement also stressed that Trump met with Imran Khan during his visit to the United States, which strengthened dialogue between the two countries. It claimed that under the Trump presidency, administration officials engaged in direct talks with Pakistani ministers, which PAKPAC USA claims did not happen under the Biden/Harris administration.
The statement of support also criticized President Biden’s handling of Pakistan, alleging that the Biden administration was complicit in the “legislative coup” that ousted Imran Khan, and that it has failed to secure the release of Khan and other political prisoners since then.
PAKPAC USA warned that discussions with the Harris campaign have left them concerned that current policies will continue under a Harris presidency, further straining US-Pakistan relations.
In 2022, the US State Department categorically denied Imran Khan’s allegations that Washington was behind any plot to remove him from office. Department spokeswoman Jalina Porter rejected these allegations, saying there was “no truth at all” to the accusations.
Later, following the arrest of Imran Khan in the Toshakhana case, the Foreign Ministry referred to the case as an internal Pakistani matter and called for respect for democratic principles and the rule of law in Pakistan, just as the United States does around the world.
In early 2023, US Senator Chuck Schumer expressed concerns about Imran Khan’s safety in a conversation with Pakistani Ambassador Masoud Khan. Schumer had previously indicated that the former prime minister’s anti-American rhetoric exacerbated tensions between the two countries.