The Pakistani-American Public Affairs Committee (PAKPAC), known for its campaigns advocating for the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, has announced its support for Donald Trump in the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
In an interview with host Syed Zahoor Raza on the New Wave Global, Dr. Uzma Rehman Ali, the President-Elect of PAKPAC's National Board, stated, “We compared the actions of the Biden-Harris Administration over the past four years with what Trump accomplished during his term. We felt that our concerns were largely ignored by the Biden Administration, despite our efforts to communicate through letters and conversations with Secretary Blinken and the White House National Security team. In contrast, when we spoke with the Trump campaign, we felt heard, and we believe they could address important issues for us, such as democracy, civil liberties, and human rights in Pakistan.”
When asked how Trump would support democracy in Pakistan, given his own criticisms of democratic institutions in the United States, Dr. Uzma replied, “Our primary goal is to assess whether he can help us. While there are no guarantees, we found our conversations with him to be more productive, which is why we based our decision on that.”
She further said that Pakistani Americans overwhelmingly supported Biden in the last election but felt neglected and disengaged by his administration. This lack of attention influenced their decision.
When asked if endorsing Trump contradicts the broader interests of the Pakistani-American community, particularly given his history of Islamophobic and anti-immigrant rhetoric as well as his America First policy, she stated, “Trump did not implement any anti-Muslim bans during his last administration. Our top priority is to see a secure America, and we feel that the Biden-Harris Administration has not effectively achieved that.”