Imran Khan’s sons raise alarm over father’s safety in jail

The sons of Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister Imran Khan have expressed grave concerns for his safety, saying authorities may be concealing “something irreversible” about his condition after weeks without verifiable information.

Kasim Khan told Reuters that, despite a judicial order for weekly family visits, the family has had no direct or confirmed contact with Khan. Court-mandated meetings have been blocked, and rumours of possible transfers to high-security facilities have added to their anxiety.

“Not knowing whether your father is safe, injured or even alive is a form of psychological torture,” Kasim said. “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 Khan’s personal physician, who has been barred from examining him for over a year. Pakistani television channels have also been instructed not to show Khan’s image or name, leaving only a single grainy court photograph online since his imprisonment.

Officials from Pakistan’s interior ministry did not respond to queries about Khan’s condition. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a jail official said Khan was in “good health” and denied any knowledge of plans to move him to a higher-security prison.

Khan, 72, has been in custody since August 2023 following convictions in multiple cases he alleges are politically motivated after his removal from office in April 2022 through a no-confidence vote. His first conviction involved the alleged unlawful sale of gifts received during foreign visits, known as the Toshakhana case. Subsequent verdicts included a 10-year sentence for leaking a diplomatic cable and 14 years in a corruption case linked to the Al-Qadir Trust, a charity accused of improper land deals. He also faces multiple cases related to the May 9, 2023 protests, as well as charges involving prohibited foreign funding, asset concealment, and other criminal allegations.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, which Khan leads, has said these prosecutions are designed to remove him from politics and prevent him from contesting elections.

Kasim and his elder brother Suleiman Isa Khan, who live in London with their mother Jemima Goldsmith, last saw their father in November 2022, after he survived an assassination attempt. The memory of that visit has deepened their concern amid weeks of silence.

“This is not just a political dispute,” Kasim said. “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.” The family is pursuing all avenues, including appeals to international human-rights organisations, and is calling for immediate restoration of court-ordered access.