Richard Grenell is Not Coming Slow!
A small spark can start a big fire!
The Pakistani establishment is learning the hard way that the old rules of double-speak no longer apply in the digital age. For decades, they’ve balanced one narrative for domestic audiences and another for the international community.
Take Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, for example. In Pakistan, he labels Imran Khan a “liberal” and a “Jewish agent,” pandering to conservative elements. Abroad, he portrays Khan as a “fundamentalist,” conveniently positioning himself and his allies as champions of liberal values.
But in a hyper-connected world, such duplicity has consequences. This time, the establishment’s attempt to discredit Richard Grenell as a supporter of Khan has spectacularly backfired, making Grenell one of the most talked-about—and popular—figures in Pakistan.
The drama began when Grenell tweeted in support of Khan, calling for his release. The establishment-friendly Geo News, often seen as the government’s mouthpiece and a recipient of USAID donor funding, ran an Urdu article and a tweet pointing out that Grenell is “Donald Trump’s special envoy.” More pointedly, in urdu they highlighted his sexual orientation—a subtle dog whistle aimed at conservative audiences to discredit Khan by association.
Notably, this detail was absent from their English-language coverage, showcasing the double-speak they’ve long relied on. This tactic might have worked in the past, but someone took a screenshot, translated it, and sent it to Grenell.
What followed was a series of scathing tweets from Grenell, each exposing Geo News’s hypocrisy while also shining a spotlight on Pakistan’s crumbling human rights and democratic norms. His responses were incisive, bold, and each ended with a powerful three-word message: “Free Imran Khan.” The global attention Grenell’s tweets have drawn is unprecedented and effective, sparking widespread discussion and admiration.
Yet the most glaring irony lies in the role of the Biden administration. Their actions—or lack thereof—speak volumes. White House spokesperson Matthew Miller, the administration’s official voice on foreign policy, has been conspicuously silent about Pakistan’s descent into authoritarianism. It took over two and a half years of gross human rights abuses and democratic erosion for Miller to finally acknowledge the situation. Even then, his statements were empty—a carefully crafted mix of platitudes that stopped short of condemning the regime’s actions outright.
The hypocrisy is unmistakable. The Biden administration claims to champion human rights and democracy, but its silence on abuses in Pakistan suggests otherwise. As long as those abuses align with its geopolitical interests, they’re conveniently ignored. For Miller and his colleagues, democracy seems to matter only when it suits their agenda, and victims of oppression are disregarded if they’re seen as “opponents.”
Grenell, on the other hand, has shown no such duplicity. His unfiltered critique of the Pakistani government and its media allies has not only exposed their double standards but also underscored the complacency of the White House. It’s no surprise that Grenell’s courage has resonated deeply with Pakistanis. After Imran Khan himself, Grenell might now be one of the most admired figures in the country.
Ahsan Iqbal Chaudhary, the Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives of Pakistan and the lead “intellectual” of the ruling PMLN party, who often acts as a cover for the establishment, triumphantly wrote about how Pakistan would also rid itself of its "Trump," just as Americans did. Tweets that he now seems eager to delete—but not before we captured the screenshots. The real issue here, however, is not the boastful words of a Pakistani politician, but the fact that the US Embassy in Islamabad retweeted it while Trump was still in office. Grenell has vowed to investigate, and heads might roll within the US establishment as well!
In cricket, when a player enters the game with full force, people say, “He’s not coming slow.” Grenell is proving that phrase true in the political arena. His tweets are powerful, popular, and, for those of us supporting the fight against the illegally installed government and its backers in the establishment, immensely entertaining.
I’ll end the way Grenell often does: Free Imran Khan!