Karachi:
The sons of Pakistan’s jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan say they fear authorities are concealing “something irreversible” about his condition after more than three weeks without any evidence that he is still alive.
Despite a judicial order allowing weekly meetings, prison visits remain blocked, and rumours have intensified about potential transfers to higher-security facilities. Speaking to Reuters, Khan’s son Kasim Khan said the family has received no direct or independently verified communication from him for months.
“Not knowing whether your father is safe, injured, or even alive is a form of psychological torture,” Kasim said in written remarks. “Today, we have no verifiable information at all about his condition. Our greatest fear is that something irreversible is being hidden from us.”
The family has repeatedly requested access for Imran Khan’s personal physician, who has not been allowed to examine him for over a year, he added.
Pakistan’s Interior Ministry did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment. A jail official, speaking anonymously, claimed Khan was in “good health” and said he was unaware of any plans to move him to another facility.
Imran Khan’s Legal Troubles Since 2023
Imran Khan, 72, has been imprisoned since August 2023, following a series of convictions he says were politically motivated after his ouster in a 2022 parliamentary vote.
His first conviction was in the Toshakhana case, involving allegations that he unlawfully sold state gifts received while in office. Subsequent verdicts added long sentences, including:
- 10 years for allegedly leaking a diplomatic cable
- 14 years in a graft case tied to the Al-Qadir Trust, involving land deals prosecutors claim were improper
Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has consistently argued the cases are designed to prevent him from participating in public life or contesting elections.
Family Anxiety Grows Amid Complete Information Blackout
Kasim said the family believes the communication blackout is intentional, aimed at removing Imran Khan from the public eye.
Television channels have reportedly been instructed not to broadcast Khan’s image or name, leaving only a single grainy courtroom photograph as the last public visual of him since imprisonment.
“This isolation is intentional,” Kasim said. “They are scared of him. He is Pakistan’s most popular leader, and they know they cannot defeat him democratically.”
Kasim and his older brother, Suleiman Isa Khan, live in London with their mother, Jemima Goldsmith, and have largely stayed away from Pakistan’s political sphere. They refer to their father as “Abba” and have rarely spoken publicly, except on matters concerning his imprisonment.
The last time they saw him was in November 2022, shortly after he survived an assassination attempt.
“That image has stayed with me ever since,” Kasim said. “Seeing our father in that state is something you don’t forget. We were told he would recover with time. Now, after weeks of total silence and no proof of life, that memory carries a different weight.”
Family Appeals to Courts and International Organisations
Kasim said the family is pursuing “internal and external avenues,” including appeals to international human rights organisations, and urgently wants court-ordered access restored.
“This is not just a political dispute. It is a human rights emergency,” he said. “Pressure must come from every direction. We draw strength from him, but we need to know he is safe.”