ISLAMABAD: In what appears to be a major blow to the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Gentry Beach – an American businessman believed to be close to the Trump family – claimed on Wednesday that Richard Grenell, a close aide of the new US President Donald Trump, “may have been misled” over his support for the release of jailed PTI founding chairman Imran Khan by a lobby working in the US.
Talking to a select group of journalists after a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his key cabinet ministers, along with a delegation of US businessmen, Beach said he was sure that “Grenell has a much better understanding of the complicated issues facing Pakistanis, and that may have been the reason he has stopped posting on X in support of PTI.”
Contrary to Beach’s claim, a US-based journalist recently said that Grenell did not delete his posts; rather, he had set his X account to automatically delete posts after 40 days.
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However, Beach, who is keen to make investments in the information technology sector of Pakistan, insisted: “I would say I do believe he [Grenell] may have been misled around some of these issues by certain individuals.”
“Grenell is one of the finest Americans I have ever met. He gets more done in a week than most people do in a year. He is absolutely effective, incredibly smart and humble. I am in awe of Ambassador Grenell.”
The American businessman, currently visiting Pakistan along with a delegation of American businessmen, claimed that “there is a lobby in the US that spends $2 to $3 million per month related to Imran Khan.”
In the same breath, Beach continued, “I am not an expert on these things, but I do believe that Grenell has a better understanding of the true evidence today than before. He has a better understanding now.”
Beach said he would be surprised if Grenell started tweeting again, adding, “I do believe he’s supportive of American interests here, and I do believe he’s supportive of the current administration and business people like myself who are trying to make bridges.”
“Currently, Grenell is having to clean up the mess the Biden administration left behind all over the world. He is the perfect person to do this. I know Trump loves him dearly. He is a huge asset to the US.”
“I spoke to him, and he said he has a better understanding of the facts now than before. I would be surprised if he retweeted or did any of the things he was doing before. I think he understands it’s a much more complicated situation.
He may have been misled by some individuals and he probably has a better understanding than before,“ he maintained.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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