In a rare decision that lifted the veil on the silence of their family, the sons of the former Prime Minister Imran Khan have publicly talked about the prolonged imprisonment of their father, calling for international pressure on Pakistan to ensure his release.
This marked the first time that the two sons, Suleman Khan and Qasim Khan, publicly responded to their father’s imprisonment. Although a court authorized them in November 2023 to contact him every week, they said that these calls had been sporadic and difficult to secure.
In an interview with the influencer X Mario Nawfal, the brothers highlighted why they had broken their silence.
“We have traveled the legal routes. We have traveled each path which, in our view, would potentially do it.
He added: “What we want is an international pressure on Pakistan at the moment, because currently he lives in inhuman conditions. They do not give him fundamental human rights … They are not really close enough. And what we want is global pressure.”
Speaking of the impasse through legal channels, Suleman said: “We have exhausted other options [and] Legal avenues and it is very calm. It seems that, in the international media, he seems to have become very silent. “”
Asked about the calls of the American official Richard Grenell to the release of Imran, Suleman said that they had not established direct contact with him but appreciated “all the support he had shown”.
Responding to know if they had a message for the Trump camp, Suleman said: “We would call a government that supports freedom of expression and appropriate democracy to join the call for our father’s liberation.”
Qasim has echoed the feeling: “Look at what’s going on and I hope to take measures and who better than Trump to attract attention. We would be delighted to speak to Trump or try to find a way he would be able to help in one way or another. Because, at the end of the day, all that we are trying to make is to release our father, to bring democracy to Pakistan and to make his fundamental human rights.”
