The son of former Pakistani Prime Minister and cricket legend Imran Khan has voiced grave concerns over his father's well-being, stating that no one has seen or heard from him since August. Sulaiman Khan, the 29-year-old son from Khan's first marriage to Jemima Goldsmith, revealed his fears that Pakistani authorities are attempting to kill the imprisoned politician.
Imran Khan, 74, is currently serving a 14-year sentence in Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on charges including corruption and bribery, all of which he denies. According to his son, Khan has been held in a 6ft by 8ft solitary confinement cell and has been denied court-ordered medical care. Lawyers representing Khan have described his conditions as amounting to torture, and his health is reported to have significantly deteriorated. He has allegedly lost 85% of his vision in his right eye due to a blood clot and has been diagnosed with high blood pressure.
Sulaiman Khan stated on social media that his father explicitly said in August that he was being tortured and that "the regime was trying to kill him like Egypt's government did Morsi." He further alleged that the UN Special Rapporteur on torture has repeatedly stated Khan's treatment constitutes torture. Khan's sons claim that the Pakistani government, led by army chief Asim Munir, is ignoring a Supreme Court order from August for their father to be treated at Shifa International Hospital and for regular access to family and legal visits.
"It is clear that they are trying to kill him as he is by far the most popular political figure in the country, and they fear him," Sulaiman Khan wrote, adding that if his father dies, the responsibility will lie with the current regime. He has previously accused Army Chief Asim Munir of holding a personal vendetta against his father.
Khan's sons have also criticized the British government for failing to intervene or offer support. Sulaiman's mother, Jemima Goldsmith, has echoed these sentiments, stating that another son has been forced into politics by the "venal Pakistani regime."
Last month, Khan's other son, Kasim, 27, expressed fears that his father could be assassinated, noting that multiple prisoners have died from hepatitis in the jail due to poor conditions. He suggested that authorities might then attribute his father's death to natural causes if he contracted a similar disease.
The brothers have described their father's living quarters as a "death cell" with "filthy water" and complete isolation, with him spending 23 hours a day alone. Their last contact with him was a phone call months ago. Khan had complained of high blood pressure, heart palpitations, and anxiety to his sister during a brief visit while he was hospitalized.
In August, an interview with Khan's sons during a cricket match led to threats from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to abandon the game. The PCB, described as heavily politicized, has denied mistreating Khan or preventing visits from his family and lawyers.
In February, 14 international cricketers, including former England captains Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton, signed an open letter calling for better treatment for Khan.
Imran Khan led Pakistan to World Cup victory in 1992 during his cricket career and later became Prime Minister in 2018. He was removed from power in a no-confidence vote in 2022 after falling out with the military establishment. His supporters have frequently protested his arrest and imprisonment since May 2023.