Imran's sons voice fears over father's health

Brothers allege access restrictions; govt says visits and care provided

ISLAMABAD:

Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan's sons, Kasim Khan and Sulaiman Khan, have expressed concern over their father's health, telling CNN that authorities have prevented family members, lawyers and doctors from visiting the jailed former premier for months.

Imran has been imprisoned since August 2023, currently serving a sentence at Adiala Jail in a £190 million corruption case. He also faces pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) related to the protests of May 9, 2023.

The brothers have not seen their father since November 2022 after he survived an assassination attempt. They said they applied for visas in January of this year but have yet to receive a response.

Speaking to CNN in London on the third anniversary of Khan's imprisonment, the brothers said they had received no recent updates about their father's condition because "his family, doctors [and] lawyers have not been allowed to see him for seven months."

"We're trying, we'd like to go, but nothing's coming through," Kasim said, claiming administrative issues had prevented the pair from travelling to Pakistan. He added there was "no reason" they should be prevented from entering the country.

The brothers alleged that each time they spoke publicly about their father's incarceration, it became increasingly difficult for them to secure the necessary documentation to visit him.

In response, the Ministry of Information rejected the allegations, telling CNN that both Kasim and Sulaiman possess National Identity Cards for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP), allowing them to enter the country without visas.

The ministry described the brothers' claims as "misleading" and accused them of turning an administrative matter into "political point-scoring."

However, the brothers maintained that their identity cards had expired and had not been renewed, a claim that CNN said was "not addressed by the ministry".