Information Minister says phone call between Imran and his children will be organized on the occasion of Eid
A combined photo of Kasim Khan (left), Information Minister Attaullah Tarar (C) and Sulaiman Khan. Photos: File
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Wednesday that the sons of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan did not need a visa to travel to Pakistan and meet their father, who is currently in prison.
His statement followed a call from Imran’s ex-wife Jemima Goldsmith to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, urging the government to allow Kasim Khan and Sulaiman Khan to visit their father in prison.
“His children are welcome to visit Pakistan with their NICOP card as Pakistani citizens, for which no visa is required. However, they will fully respect the laws of Pakistan during their stay,” he said in a post on X.
Furthermore, Tarar confirmed that a phone call between Imran and his children would be arranged on Eid, following the same procedure as in previous cases.
Imran Khan’s phone call will also be held on Eid with his children like in the past.
His children are welcome to visit Pakistan with their NICOP card as Pakistani citizens for whom no visa is required. However, they will fully respect the laws of Pakistan…
– Attaullah Tarar (@TararAttaullah) March 18, 2026
In her appeal, Jemima said: “My sons Sulaiman and Kasim applied (again) for a visa in January to enable them to visit their father Imran Khan in Pakistan. The Pakistan consulate states that online visa processing normally takes 7-10 business days. It has now been 60 days.”
Jemima said this was despite public promises that their sons could safely travel to Pakistan to see their father after four years, assurances that Defense Minister Khawaja Asif had given to Anglo-American journalist Mehdi Hasan and Prime Minister’s spokesman Mosharraf Zaidi. News from the sky presenter Yalda Hakim.
“They are not allowed to speak to him on the phone, nor send him a letter. They have not seen him since 2022 after he was shot dead in an assassination attempt,” she said.
Learn more: Jemima directly appeals to PM Shehbaz to allow her sons to meet Imran Khan
Imran has been imprisoned since August 2023 and is currently serving a sentence in Adiala Prison in a £190 million corruption case. Additionally, he faces ongoing trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) related to the May 9, 2023 protests.
Kasim and Sulaiman have not seen their father since November 2022, after he survived an assassination attempt. They said they applied for a visa in January but have not yet received a response.
Kasim last month accused the government of deliberately refusing to process his and his brother’s visas to prevent the siblings from meeting their father. He said that denying a prisoner cruel treatment was cruel and that denying his children the right to see him was collective punishment.
Last year, Imran’s sister Aleema Khan told reporters that the brothers would take part in a protest planned for August 5, 2025.
Later, it was reported that Imran had said that his sons would not come to Pakistan to join the protest. The brothers then held meetings with key figures in the United States.
