- The sons say they last met Imran in person in November 2022.
- Kasim Khan says his father is being held in a 6×8 cell.
- “The conditions of detention, including the food, are horrible. »
Sulaiman and Kasim, sons of incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, have expressed concern over the former prime minister’s conditions of detention and the “prolonged” lack of communication, saying court-ordered contacts have not been consistently allowed.
“They [jail authorities] they don’t even allow the guards to talk to him [Imran] because they want total isolation from any other person just to try to break it,” Kasim said in an interview with journalist Mehdi Hasan.
Imran, the ousted prime minister, has been behind bars for more than two years. His incarceration, however, has still proven to be a flashpoint for the government as PTI protests, including scuffles with police and prison staff, continue during meetings with the ex-prime minister.
The last meeting with the jailed ex-PM took place on December 2 when his sister Uzma was allowed to meet him after the former ruling party expressed concerns over his health and even threatened to stage a protest outside the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and then march to the jail.
Amid all the hubbub, the government, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry and Prime Minister’s Advisor on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah hinted that it might shift Imran to another prison – a possibility denied by the Adiala Prison Administration, which maintained that no such proposal was on the table.
During the interview — a four-minute preview of which is publicly available on at Zétéo On the website, Hasan asked when was the last time they spoke with their father.
Sulaiman said he last spoke to his father in late July, despite court orders allowing weekly calls. Kasim said his most recent conversation with Imran lasted about six minutes and took place about three months ago.
However, in response to the complaint, PK Press Club News Journalist Shabbir Dar wrote on X that the imprisoned PTI founder himself told reporters that his conversation with his sons lasted about half an hour.
Asked about the in-person meetings, Sulaiman said the last time they met Imran was in November 2022, following an assassination attempt on the PTI founder. “We were there for a week, I think,” he said.
Kasim and Sulaiman were also asked about the government’s claims that Imran was treated like a “prince” during his incarceration.
He said Imran was being held in a cell measuring six feet by eight inches, “barely enough to stand on.”
“The conditions are horrible. He washes in brown, murky water. And the food he has is – he’s not the one complaining – but it’s apparently terrible. Being a prince is far from it,” he said.
Referring to the PTI founder’s recent meeting with his sister Uzma, Kasim said the former prime minister was unhappy with the continued isolation. “He was just unhappy with this complete isolation,” he said.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s spokesman Mosharraf Zaidi dismissed the allegations, saying Imran was not held in a cell but in designated living quarters with access to outdoor space, exercise facilities, books and a private cook.
Make a statement to Zétéo In response to Imran’s sons’ interview, Zaidi said a doctor monitored Imran’s meals and called the allegations of mistreatment misinformation.
Zaidi said Imran’s children would be treated in accordance with the law if they visited Pakistan, but warned that authorities would act to prevent unrest if a visit became politicized.
Imran remains behind bars as legal proceedings continue, with the conviction in the Toshakhana-2 case the latest blow to the former prime minister.
Imran faces dozens of complaints filed since he was ousted from office in 2022, ranging from corruption to anti-terrorism and state secrets. The jailed PTI founder has denied any wrongdoing in all the cases, which his party says are politically motivated.
