Trump Has No Ties With Imran Khan; To Keep Eye On Bangladesh Situation: Pak-American Industry Leader

Sajid Tarar, a Trump ally, stated Trump's second term will focus on bolstering the Pentagon, revising foreign policies, and addressing human rights in South Asia.

Washington: US President-elect Donald Trump has no personal relationship with former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan, a prominent Pakistani-American businessman and Trump backer has said.

Sajid Tarar, who heads the Muslims for Trump organisation, also said that Trump -- who won the US presidential election for a second term in one of the most remarkable comebacks in American electoral history -- would strengthen ties with India and keep a close watch on allegations of human rights violations in Bangladesh.

"A perception is being created by a particular party in Pakistan that he (Khan) has a personal relationship with Donald Trump. This is not true. It's a fact that, as president, Trump had invited Khan to the White House as the prime minister of Pakistan," Tarar told PTI in an interview.

Trump will "not interfere" in the internal affairs of Pakistan or its judiciary to get Khan out of jail, he asserted. "He (Trump) may have a soft corner (for Khan)," he said. Khan was arrested last year after his conviction in the first Toshakhana corruption case filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan. Since then, he has been in jail in different cases.

Tarar also noted that Trump was aware of the developments in South Asia, including Bangladesh. Trump is aware that when he was running for president in 2016, Muhammad Yunus -- the chief advisor to the interim Bangladesh government -- had openly supported Hillary Clinton against him. During his recent US visit, Yunus met President Joe Biden and former president Bill Clinton, he added.

"In fact, there is a history here that when Donald Trump was fighting the election against Hillary Clinton, he (Yunus) was supporting Hillary Clinton," Tarar said. Days before the November 5 elections in the US, Trump issued a statement condemning "human rights violations" against Hindus in Bangladesh.

The minority Hindu community, which constitutes about 8 per cent of Bangladesh's population, has alleged regular vandalism of their businesses and destruction of temples during and since the protests that resulted in the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5.

"He (Trump) will have a close eye on Bangladesh and will be watching (allegations of) human rights violations… In my opinion, Donald Trump will have a tough word with Bangladesh," Tarar said.

Trump's election, he asserted, was good for the US and the world. "Donald Trump has not taken his oath yet but (the world has started) reacting to it. The whole world is nervous, except India. Now, the world has a leader. Over the next four years, he will be cleaning up the extension of Barack Obama's policies in the US that has been going on for 12 years."

Among the new Trump administration's top focus areas will be to give priority to the Pentagon, Tarar said. "He will strengthen the Pentagon. He will revisit our foreign policy. Afghanistan is not the threat it was in the past. Pakistan's geographic location is such that it cannot be ignored -- a border with China, borders with Iran, Afghanistan and India. So, in my opinion, he will justify a relationship," he said.

"Since 1947, Pakistan and the US have been very close to each other. Defence contracts, its (Pakistan's) top brass are trained and educated here. Most of the war equipment is made in America," Tarar said.

Trump 2.0, Tarar claimed, would be completely different from his first stint. "I think they will put a new life in the Republican Party. It was necessary to create a balance in US politics," Tarar said.