Amid growing speculation over former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan’s health, his sons have again demanded ‘proof of life’, claiming they have had no confirmed access to their father despite a court order permitting weekly meetings. In a new statement, Kasim Khan said that his family fears “something irreversible” may have occurred to the PTI leader. The family alleges that, for months, there has been no verified contact with Khan, who has been behind bars since August 2023. The concerns have intensified as rumours over his wellbeing and alleged pressure tactics continue to surface. (90 words)
Sons Demand Clarity
Kasim Khan said the uncertainty and lack of communication have become a source of “psychological torture” for the family. He stated that there has been no independently confirmed communication for several months, despite court directives allowing weekly meetings with the jailed leader.
“Not knowing whether your father is safe, injured or even alive is a form of psychological torture,” he said in written remarks reported by Reuters. Kasim further added, “Today we have no verifiable information at all about his condition. Our greatest fear is that something irreversible is being hidden from us.”
Kasim and his brother Suleiman Isa Khan, who have remained away from Pakistan’s political landscape and currently live in London with their mother Jemima Goldsmith, reiterated their concerns about their 72-year-old father’s safety. The last time Kasim saw Imran Khan was in November 2022, following the assassination attempt on the former PM.
“It is a human rights emergency. Pressure must come from every direction. We draw strength from him, but we need to know he is safe,” he wrote.
PTI Senator Claims ‘Imran Khan Is Alive’
Amid the calls for proof and spiralling rumours, a Pakistani lawmaker from Khan’s party has asserted that the PTI founder is alive. PTI Senator Khurram Zeeshan told ANI that Imran Khan is facing pressure to leave Pakistan, but is refusing to accept any deal.
“They are trying to strike a deal with Imran Khan, asking him to leave the country,” Zeeshan said, adding that authorities were allegedly offering concessions if Khan agreed to go abroad and remain silent. “But Imran Khan will never agree to it. The kind of leader he is, he will never approve it.”
Legal Battles Continue
Khan has been incarcerated since August 2023 following multiple convictions, which he claims are politically motivated after his ouster in the 2022 parliamentary vote. His first conviction came in the Toshakhana case, related to allegations of unlawfully selling gifts received while in office.
Further verdicts extended his sentences, including 10 years for allegedly leaking a diplomatic cable and 14 years in a corruption case linked to the Al-Qadir Trust, which prosecutors say was tied to improper land transactions.
