Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has sharply criticised Jemima Goldsmith after she voiced concerns about the health and safety of her former husband, Imran Khan, in prison.
Jemima, in a social media post on X, expressed serious concerns about Imran Khan’s well-being in jail, claiming that he was facing "grave and distressing" conditions. She further stated that Pakistani authorities had prevented family members and legal representatives from meeting him, and that all court hearings had been postponed.
In response, Khawaja Asif accused Jemima of exaggerating the situation, saying that Imran Khan was being treated with "constant leniency" despite showing no such kindness to his political opponents when he was in power.
Asif referred to the case of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who was not even allowed to speak to his dying wife, Kulsoom Nawaz, during his incarceration. He also pointed out that several opposition leaders were imprisoned without charges under Imran’s government.
Jemima’s appeal on social media was focused on her sons’ inability to contact their father. She claimed that since early September, Imran Khan’s weekly calls to his sons, Sulaiman and Qasim, had been stopped. She also alleged that Imran was being held in solitary confinement, with no electricity in his cell, and that his meals had been disrupted after the prison cook was sent on leave.
Jemima stressed that her call for Imran Khan’s release was "not politically motivated," but made out of concern for her children and their father’s health. She also highlighted that members of Imran’s family, including his sisters Uzma and Aleema Khan, and his nephew Hassan Niazi, were being targeted by the authorities, with his sisters recently detained during a protest.
Imran Khan has been in jail since August 2023 after being convicted in a corruption case. Restrictions on his media appearances and meetings with family and party leaders were recently imposed due to security concerns at Adiala Jail, where all visits to inmates were suspended until October 18.
However, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, chairman of Imran Khan’s PTI party, confirmed that medical professionals were recently granted access to him. "By the grace of God, Khan sahib is in good health and even completed an hour of exercise today," Gohar said. He added that medical reports would soon be released and thanked supporters for their ongoing commitment.
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