Fears over the health and safety of jailed former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan have exploded online as rumours spread he may have died, family and lawyers demand access after being denied visiting rights for several weeks.
Khan, founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and the most popular political figure in the country, has been imprisoned since August 2023 over corruption charges which his supporters claim are politically-motivated.
Over the past 48 hours, rumours have surfaced that Pakistan’s elite may be concealing a breakdown in his health or even death which were reinforced by Khan’s relatives claiming they have been barred from seeing him for almost four weeks.
Khan’s son Kasim Khan issued a rare public appeal late on Thursday on X, saying his father had been held in “complete isolation” for weeks and denied all contact with relatives or his lawyers.
“For the past six weeks, he has been kept alone in a death cell in an environment of complete isolation. His sisters have been barred from every meeting, despite clear court orders. No phone calls, no meetings, and no news of his well-being. My brother and I have not been able to contact our father in any way.
“Let it be clear: the Pakistani government and its handlers will be held fully accountable legally, morally and internationally for my father’s safety and for every consequence of this inhumane isolation.
“I call on the international community, global human rights organisations and every democratic voice to intervene urgently. Demand proof of life, enforce court ordered access, end this inhumane isolation and call for the release of Pakistan’s most popular political leader who is being held solely for political reasons.”
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Mr Khan’s sister, Aleema Khanum, said the family has spent months attempting to visit him at Adiala Jail, a high-security prison near Islamabad.
“For the last six to seven months, they have caused a lot of trouble; sometimes they let me meet him, sometimes they let one of my sisters meet him, sometimes they don’t let anyone meet him. Many times, we wait outside for hours,” she told Indian broadcaster NDTV.
Another sister, Noreen Niazi, speaking to Indian news agency ANI, said relatives have again been refused visits for the past four weeks. “We don’t know anything. They are not telling us anything, nor are they letting anybody meet him,” she said, adding that even PTI leaders with scheduled appointments had been turned away.
In response to the backlash and swirling rumours, Rana Sanaullah, the adviser to the Pakistan Prime Minister on Political Affairs, has rejected speculation surrounding Imran Khan’s health, telling media that the former PM was “fine and nothing is wrong with him.”
Detention and protests
Mr Khan, who became prime minister in 2018 before being ousted in a parliamentary vote of no confidence four years later, has claimed that dozens of criminal cases against him are aimed at blocking his return to politics.
He and his wife were sentenced in January to 14 and seven years’ imprisonment, respectively, in a corruption case he says is fabricated.
PTI officials have also repeatedly alleged that he is being held in inhumane conditions and subjected to prolonged solitary confinement, allegations the authorities have denied.
The arrest of Khan on May 9, 2023, sparked massive protests across the country as his supporters flocked to the streets to condemn the move.
The protests quickly turned violent as police cracked down on the gatherings. Protesters also attacked and set fire to numerous government buildings, including military installations.
The riots resulted in hundreds of arrests, dozens of deaths, and significant damage to public and military property. The government imposed a nationwide crackdown, arresting thousands of PTI workers and leaders, suspending mobile and internet services, and deploying the army to restore order.
PTI described these measures as an attempt to crush dissent, while the government labeled the violence as an insurrection against the state.
The PTI and human rights activists have complaint of politicised nature of the allegations against Khan, which included corruption charges and terrorism related offences.
Pakistan’s authorities have additionally faced global condemnation over the alleged mistreatment of Khan while in detention.
