The Michigan senator-elect spoke about political freedom in Pakistan while he was still a candidate. The clip began circulating again after his November election win.
A clip of Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed questioning the state of democracy in Pakistan has resurfaced after his election to the US Senate. The video was filmed on 23 August 2026, more than two months before the November midterms, according to a fact-check published by iVerify Pakistan.
What El-Sayed said in Michigan
El-Sayed spoke at a Pakistan Association of America gathering in Southfield, Michigan, marking 79 years of Pakistani independence. He argued that a democracy must allow people to speak freely and stand for office without intimidation or imprisonment. In the excerpt, he referred to Pakistan’s former prime minister, an apparent reference to Imran Khan, without naming him in that passage.
He drew on his Egyptian family background to explain why the issue mattered to him. His parents immigrated from Egypt, and he contrasted the opportunity he had to seek public office in the United States with what he described as a lack of political freedom in Egypt. He told the audience that the histories of Egypt and Pakistan could echo one another.
Why the timing matters
El-Sayed was Michigan’s Democratic Senate nominee when he made the remarks. The Associated Press reported that he defeated Republican Mike Rogers in the November election and is set to become the first Muslim to serve in the US Senate. iVerify Pakistan traced copies that circulated on 9 November to coverage published in August, distinguishing the resurfaced clip from a new statement by a senator-elect.
Where Imran Khan’s case stands now
Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, lost office in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in 2022 and has been imprisoned since 2023. He denies wrongdoing in the cases against him and says they are politically motivated. Pakistan’s government rejects that characterisation.
On 11 November, lawyers met Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, at Adiala Jail after the Islamabad High Court directed authorities to facilitate legal access. The court had been hearing appeals against their convictions in the Al-Qadir Trust case, also known as the £190 million reference. Dawn reported that the meeting covered their legal cases and health. Reuters reported that Khan had received follow-up eye care in Islamabad before returning to custody.
What this means
The renewed attention gives Pakistan’s diaspora another reason to follow both Khan’s court proceedings and El-Sayed’s first months in Washington. The August remarks show what he was willing to say as a candidate. Whether he takes up the issue formally once in office remains to be seen. For Khan and Bushra Bibi, the immediate developments to watch are their appeals and continued access to legal counsel.
Sources
The Daily Inside — Instagram reel
iVerify Pakistan — Fact-check tracing the footage to August
ThePrint — August reporting from the Pakistan Association of America event
Associated Press — Michigan Senate race result
