Imran Khan’s sons raise concerns over father’s health; govt denies access restrictions

WEB DESK: Kasim and Sulaiman, the two sons of former prime minister Imran Khan, have again expressed concern over the health of their jailed father, alleging that Pakistani authorities are preventing them from meeting him and restricting access to family members, lawyers and doctors.

In an interview with CNN from London, the brothers said that they had “no updates because his (Imran’s) family, doctors (and) lawyers haven’t been allowed to see him for seven months.”

The comments came a day after the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) marked the third anniversary of Khan’s imprisonment, demanding the release of the party founder and his wife, Bushra Bibi.

Khan, who served as prime minister from 2018 until he was removed through a parliamentary vote of no confidence in April 2022, has been in prison since August 2023 after being convicted in multiple cases, including corruption and disclosure of state secrets.

Khan and his supporters maintain that the cases are politically motivated, an allegation repeatedly denied by the government.

Following his ouster, Khan led large rallies against the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accusing it of orchestrating his downfall. The government responded with a crackdown on PTI, arresting several party leaders.

Kasim and Sulaiman told CNN that “every time they spoke publicly about their father, Pakistani authorities made it more difficult for them to visit him by delaying administrative procedures and creating hurdles.”

“We’re trying, we’d like to go, but nothing’s coming through,” Kasim said. “There’s no reason we shouldn’t be accepted.”

Pakistan’s Ministry of Information told CNN that both brothers hold National Identity Cards for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP), which allow them to enter Pakistan without visas.

The ministry said their claims were therefore “misleading” and appeared to turn “an administrative process into an issue of political point-scoring.”

However, the duo said their NICOP cards had expired and had not been renewed, a claim the ministry did not directly address.

Asked whether Khan could agree to any political settlement, Sulaiman said he did not believe his father would accept an arrangement that excluded other political prisoners.

“He wouldn’t leave the other political prisoners in there unless they were able to get some kind of resolution as well,” he said.

Kasim also said he considered such a scenario unlikely but added that it was difficult to predict.

“They’re refusing to show us any kind of health report. So his health may have deteriorated significantly since then,” he said.

He also urged “anyone with power” to take notice of what he described as the situation in Pakistan.

“I know there’s a lot going on, but this is one of the most frustrating things. Not as sons, but for a whole country, for 350 million people who have voted for him, who support him, all want him to lead the country. Instead, they’re being shunned and instead the person they want in power is behind bars for no good reason,” he said.

Earlier this week, Amnesty International called on Pakistani authorities to “unconditionally restore Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi’s right to see their family and lawyers.”

The rights group also urged authorities to ensure that both receive adequate medical care and end what it described as their unlawful solitary confinement.

In a statement to CNN, however, the government of Pakistan rejected the allegations.

It “categorically rejects the claim that Mr Imran Khan Niazi has been kept under a seven-month communications blackout or denied access to his family, lawyers and doctors,” the statement said, adding that official records showed he had been granted repeated and substantial access to visitors.

The government said Khan’s most recent telephone conversation with one of his sons took place on **March 21, 2026**, arguing that this demonstrated access had not been abolished but was being regulated under Pakistan Prison Rules, court orders, approved schedules and security requirements applicable to a high-profile prisoner.

It also rejected claims regarding Khan’s health, describing his condition as “oriented and stable” without “any acute or unmanaged deterioration.”

According to the statement, the former prime minister continues to receive treatment, medication and follow-up care in accordance with medical advice, prison rules and court directions.

The government also disputed allegations regarding his prison conditions, saying Khan is housed in “an exclusive seven-cell compound designed for approximately 30 to 35 prisoners.”

It said the facility includes a corridor, a lawn, a bed, mattress, pillows, blankets, table, chair, sanitation facilities and exercise equipment, adding that the arrangements “bear no resemblance to the picture of isolation, neglect or punitive deprivation being presented publicly.”

Earlier, Adiala Jail Superintendent Abdul Ghafoor Anjum told the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that Khan is not being held in solitary confinement, rejecting allegations made in a petition filed by his sister, Aleema Khan.

In a detailed report submitted to the court on Wednesday, the jail superintendent said Khan has access to natural light, fresh air, exercise and daily movement within the prison.

The report was filed in response to Aleema Khan’s petition, which alleged that Khan and Bushra Bibi were being held in solitary confinement and that family members and lawyers were being denied access to them.

According to the report, Khan’s accommodation complies with prison rules, ensures his privacy and provides adequate access to natural light and fresh air.

The jail superintendent further stated that Khan is allowed to exercise from sunrise until sunset and can move freely from the time his cell is unlocked each morning until it is locked in the evening, allowing him to spend the day engaged in activities of his choice.