In Pakistan today, the country’s powerful generals have turned politics into a zero-sum game — a battle for survival in which the rise of Imran Khan would mark the end of the military’s 78-year-long dominance. Since his removal from power, the military establishment has deployed every possible weapon in its arsenal to keep the former prime minister behind bars — from constitutional manipulations and fabricated cases to media blackouts and restricted access during incarceration. Yet, despite these draconian tactics, public support for Khan remains unshaken, reportedly exceeding 90 percent among Pakistanis both at home and abroad.

However, the generals’ deepest fear did not originate within Pakistan — it came from abroad.

In 2024, the Pakistani diaspora in the United States had mobilized aggressively, particularly among circles close to Donald Trump. It was widely believed that after Trump returned to White House, pressure on Pakistan’s military to release Imran Khan would have intensified sharply. Initially, the generals dismissed the possibility of Trump’s comeback. However, when his political resurgence became reality, their approach shifted from denial to desperation.

Reports suggest that intermediaries linked to Trump-era figures, such as Keith Schiller and George Sorial of Javelin Advisors, were engaged to explore lobbying avenues in Washington, aiming to open doors into Trump’s political and business networks. Many suspect that a former well-connected diplomat may also have facilitated these communications.

Simultaneously, they activated their longstanding network within CENTCOM — the U.S. Central Command — whose retired officers have, for decades, maintained lucrative relationships with Pakistan’s military, especially during the Afghan wars of the 1980s and post-9/11 era.

According to insiders, these CENTCOM intermediaries pitched Trump on a grand opportunity: to reclaim political redemption after the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Pakistan, they claimed, could help him “avenge” that humiliation.

The first overture came........

© Global Village Space