Shafaqna Pakistan: Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s sons, Kasim Khan and Sulaiman Khan, have voiced concern over their father’s health, telling CNN that authorities have barred family members, lawyers and doctors from meeting the jailed former premier for several months.
Imran Khan has remained in custody since August 2023 and is currently serving a sentence at Adiala Jail in the £190 million corruption case. He is also facing separate proceedings under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) in connection with the May 9, 2023 protests.
The brothers said they have not met their father since November 2022, when he survived an assassination attempt. They added that they submitted visa applications in January this year but are still awaiting a response from the authorities.
Speaking to CNN in London on the third anniversary of Khan’s imprisonment, the brothers said they had received no recent updates about their father’s condition because “his family, doctors [and] lawyers have not been allowed to see him for seven months.”
“We’re trying, we’d like to go, but nothing’s coming through,” Kasim said, claiming administrative issues had prevented the pair from travelling to Pakistan. He added there was “no reason” they should be prevented from entering the country.
The brothers alleged that each time they spoke publicly about their father’s incarceration, it became increasingly difficult for them to secure the necessary documentation to visit him.
In response, the Ministry of Information rejected the allegations, telling CNN that both Kasim and Sulaiman possess National Identity Cards for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP), allowing them to enter the country without visas.
The ministry described the brothers’ claims as “misleading” and accused them of turning an administrative matter into “political point-scoring.”
However, the brothers maintained that their identity cards had expired and had not been renewed, a claim that CNN said was “not addressed by the ministry”.
In a separate statement provided to CNN, the government categorically rejected claims that Khan had been subjected to a seven-month communications blackout or denied access to family members, lawyers and doctors.
It said prison records showed Khan had been granted repeated and substantial access to visitors in accordance with prison regulations and court directives.
The government also said Khan’s health remained “oriented and stable”, with no evidence of any “acute or unmanaged deterioration”, adding that he was receiving medical treatment, prescribed medication and follow-up care.
Source: Express Tribune
