PTI USA 'apologises' for prior anti-America remarks; leader rubbishes claim

Journalist Murtaza Solangi has shared an alleged agreement that showed that the USA chapter of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has hired US lobbying firm Fenton/Arlock LLC to “create a favorable and sympathetic understanding of Imran Khan and PTI in the United States.”

However, PTI’s leader Azhar Mashwani has refuted the claims and the November 14 tweet in which Solangi posted the agreement, calling the alleged document “fake.” Users pointed out that the lobbying firm’s name is misspelled “Arlock instead of Arlook.”

 It should be noted that in 2022, PTI USA chapter hired Fenton/Arlook to improve the party's image in the United States. 

Interestingly, in the agreement dated November 7, PTI USA has said it “acknowledges and apologizes for any prior anti-U.S. remarks made by party leaders that may have been misinterpreted or caused any strain in the bilateral relationship.”

Furthermore, the agreement also alleged that PTI USA, which is representing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf “is committed to prioritising US interests within the framework of Pakistan’s sovereignty including supporting US objectives in Pakistan and countering the growing influence of neighbouring country in areas that may conflict with US geopolitical and economic interests.”

It should be noted that PTI blamed the US for conspiring against its government when Imran Khan was ousted from power through a no-confidence motion in 2022. Founder PTI Imran Khan, in an infamous rally, waved a page in front of a charged crowd, which was allegedly the cypher sent to Islamabad by Pakistan's ambassador in Washington.

The Intercept, a US-based news website, in August 2023 published what it claimed to be the "cypher" that hinted the US administration wanted to remove Khan from power. 

However, later, Khan and his party changed their narratives multiple times while the American-Pakistani community continuously lobbied among US politicians for the release of Khan from prison.

The agreement, since viral on social media, also stipulated the scope of services which the lobbying firm would provide on behalf of PTI USA for a retainer fee of $40,000 per month. 

“Utilizing Fenton/Arlock LLC’s influence, contacts, and resources to help reshape PTI’s image within US political circles, with the goal of fostering a positive narrative and securing political goodwill towards PTI’s platform and leadership,” read the agreement.

As Donald Trump swept the US presidential elections earlier this month, his victory created a moment of happiness within PTI leadership and supporters because they’ve pinned their hopes on Trump’s intervention to get Imran Khan released from jail. 

Former deputy speaker and prominent PTI leader, Qasim Khan Suri, took to X last month to blame the Democratic Party for Khan's fall from power instead of blaming the United States.

Suri posted his speech from 2022, when he was the deputy assembly speaker, in which he blamed the United States for conspiring against Khan due to his alleged "independent foreign policy, economy and the sanctity of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)." Yet, the caption Suri wrote was in clear contrast with the contents of the video, writing, "The crushing defeat of the US Democratic Party, which played an important role in bringing down the government of Imran Khan, in the US presidential election made local facilitators sleepless, many of them immediately issued statements to change their father."