Son voices fears for Imran's safety

Kasim Khan, the son of jailed PTI founder Imran Khan, has accused authorities of withholding critical information about his father’s condition, warning that “something irreversible” may have happened to the former prime minister.

His alarm comes amid a deepening stand-off over prison access, with the PTI leadership and Imran’s sisters holding regular protests outside Adiala Jail after being denied visits for more than three weeks.

Despite a court directive allowing weekly meetings, Imran’s family says they remain completely cut off from him. Persistent rumours of a possible transfer have further heightened fears.

As court-ordered prison visits stay blocked and rumours swirl about possible prison transfers, his son, Kasim Khan, told Reuters the family has had no direct or verifiable contact with Imran, despite a judicial order for weekly meetings.

"Not knowing whether your father is safe, injured or even alive is a form of psychological torture," he said in written remarks, adding that there had been no independently confirmed communication for a couple of months.  "Today we have no verifiable information at all about his condition," the son added. "Our greatest fear is that something irreversible is being hidden from us."

The family has repeatedly sought access for Imran’s personal physician, who has not been allowed to examine him for more than a year, he added. Pakistan's interior ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a jail official told Reuters that Imran was in good health, adding that he was not aware of any plan for a move to a higher-security facility.

Lack of Information

The family says the lack of communication has fuelled fears over what it calls a deliberate effort to push Imran out of public sight.

"This isolation is intentional," Kasim said, referring to the authorities he believes are keeping his father cut off. "They are scared of him. He is Pakistan's most popular leader and they know they cannot defeat him democratically."

The brothers, who call him "Abba" and have kept distance from country's politics, have spoken publicly only sparingly mainly about Imran’s imprisonment.

Kasim added that the last time they saw their father was in November 2022, when they visited Pakistan after he survived an assassination attempt.

HRCP alarmed

Meanwhile, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) also expressed alarm over restrictions that may violate the minimum rights afforded to incarcerated persons.

“Allegations indicating that he has been unable to meet close relatives, associates or legal counsel warrant urgent clarification, as regular and unhindered access to immediate family and counsel is a fundamental safeguard against isolation and misuse of detention powers,” the HRCP posted on X.

(With input from Reuters)