Why do some Pakistanis want Trump in the White House?

ISLAMABAD: As the United States enters the final stretch of its presidential race, some in Pakistan thousands of miles away are hoping that Republican nominee Donald Trump will prevail against Democratic rival Kamala Harris on Nov 5.
Trump and former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan – both populist politicians – are seen to share a similar leadership style. During his presidency, Trump maintained good ties with his counterpart.
In 2019, during his first term in office, Trump famously received Khan at the White House – a meeting seen as a high point of their bilateral ties in recent years.
The two countries have also maintained strong cooperation against the backdrop of America’s geopolitical goals and security objectives in a region that includes Afghanistan, China, India and Iran.
“I think both Mr Khan and Mr Trump don’t feel bound by any norms. They are both transactional, and they will say and do whatever they feel will get them into power,” said former Pakistan foreign minister Khurram Dastgir Khan.
Such similarities are one reason many supporters of Khan – who was ousted from power in 2022 and thrown into jail last year over corruption charges – hope Trump returns to the White House.
Amid a widely held belief among many Pakistanis that Washington can influence politics in Pakistan, some of Khan’s supporters think that if Trump is elected as president for a second term, he could pressure Islamabad to release Khan.
But leaders of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the largest political party in the country, have downplayed that idea. 
“Our view is that the PTI is willing to work with whatever US administration comes about, and all US administrations would want to work with the PTI,” said the party’s general secretary Salman Akram Raja.
Observers said that while some aspects of a Trump administration may appear appealing, the big picture is not as promising.
As president between 2017 and 2021, Trump cut US$300 million in military aid to Pakistan,  accusing Islamabad of failing to tackle militant groups operating on its soil.
He also oversaw greater defence and security coordination with Pakistan’s arch-rival India, further straining ties.
Relations improved somewhat under incumbent Joe Biden, with a restoration of military assistance and more investments in Pakistan’s tech and green energy sectors.
However, the Biden administration is wary of its ally’s partnership with Chinese companies to develop ballistic missiles, amid their growing economic and military ties.
Among Washington’s concerns is Islamabad becoming a client state of China and therefore, economically, politically, and militarily subordinated.Analysts said that whether Democrat or Republican, the next US president is likely to take an aggressive stance against Pakistan’s warming relations with China.
They said Islamabad’s goal to please the two superpowers is not sustainable.
“Pakistan cannot balance between China and the United States. Pakistan has to make a choice on ‘who is (its) best friend,” said political analyst Hamid Mir. 
As Pakistan teeters between the world’s largest economies, its capacity to handle relations with the next US administration will be a litmus test for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government.