Imran Khan's Sons To Enter Political Spotlight As They Demand His Release

Imran Khan's Sons To Enter Political Spotlight As They Demand His Release

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• Imran Khan's sons will lead a rally on August 5 demanding their father's release from prison
• The protest marks the anniversary of Imran Khan's unlawful arrest in 2023
• Khan is jailed over a £190 million corruption case and faces anti-terrorism trials

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Ahead of the nationwide protest by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on August 5, former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's sons, Sulaiman and Qasim, will lead a rally demanding their father's release. The brothers are planning to come to Pakistan after lobbying efforts in the United States.

The protest on August 5, against the government will be to note the day PTI leader Imran Khan was "unlawfully" arrested in 2023.

Khan is currently serving sentence at the Adiala Jail regarding a 190 million pound corruption case and also faces trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act associated with the May 9, 2023 protests. The campaign is being laid out as an effort to reignite public and international pressure. 

"This is no longer just about politics, it's about justice," Khan's sister Aleema told local media, and added that the brothers will "stand with their father" and "the people of Pakistan."

Apart from this, the brothers had also appeared in a recent podcast to speak out against the Khan's prison conditions and said that the situation was shaped to "break Imran Khan", and commented on dynastic politics.

They had taken permission from Khan for the podcast, although they said that their father had cautioned them against participating in politics because of the prevalence of dynasty politics and the dominance of only two parties in the region.

In the podcast too, the brothers had shed light on the inhumane conditions Khan is currently living in, "What we want is international pressure on Pakistan right now, because currently he's living in inhumane conditions. They're not giving him basic human rights. They're not really doing anywhere near enough. And what we want is global pressure."

Responding to the planned protest, the Prime Minister's adviser Rana Sanaullah, warned that the brothers could be arrested if they participated in a "violent protest".

Jemima Goldsmith, Khan's ex-wife also spoke up regarding his treatment in prison. In a post on X, she said, "My children aren't allowed to speak on the phone to their father Imran Khan" adding, "He [Imran] has been in solitary confinement in prison for nearly two years. Pakistan's government has now said if they go there to try to see him, they too will be arrested and put behind bars. This doesn't happen in a democracy or a functioning state...this isn't politics. It's a personal vendetta."

My children are not allowed to speak on the phone to their father @ImranKhanPTI. He has been in solitary confinement in prison for nearly 2 years.
Pakistan's government has now said if they go there to try to see him, they too will be arrested and put behind bars.
This doesn't… https://t.co/ccM7QFPmlV pic.twitter.com/z2v6PKgHto

Moreover, Khan's sons are British citizens and face the risk of deportation or detention if they violate visa regulations. In the past, PTI protests have been met with mass arrests and mass blackouts.