World News
Imran Khan's sons voice concern over jailed former Pakistani prime minister's health
Family members and party officials allege mistreatment and solitary confinement, while Pakistan's government maintains prison conditions comply with standards.
The short version
- Sulaiman and Kasim Khan, sons of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, reported that their father is suffering from severe anxiety, heart palpitations, and vision loss after three years in Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail.
- Khan's family and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party allege he is subject to solitary confinement and restricted independent medical care, while his sons state they have not spoken to him in nearly six months.
- Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting rejected claims of mistreatment, stating Khan has received numerous medical examinations, humane living conditions, and hundreds of visitor entries.
- PTI has filed a contempt petition after government authorities took Khan to a state hospital for a brief check-up instead of transferring him to a private facility as ordered by the Supreme Court.
Key facts
- Imran Khan has been held in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail for three years and faces over 100 legal cases, with all convictions except one currently suspended or overturned pending appeal.[Al Jazeera]
- Khan's sons reported that their last direct communication with him was a 20-minute phone call in March.[Al Jazeera]
- On August 18, a three-judge Supreme Court bench directed that Khan be transferred to Shifa International Hospital, granted weekly family visits, allowed twice-weekly calls with his sons, and permitted his personal physician to participate in his care.[Al Jazeera]
- Khan was briefly taken to a government hospital on August 20 before being returned to prison, leading his political party to file a contempt petition.[Al Jazeera]
- Pakistan's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting stated that Khan has had 30 medical evaluations and recorded nearly 198 visitor sessions involving over 900 individual entries.[Al Jazeera]
What remains uncertain
- Khan's current medical status remains contested, with his family alleging severe health deterioration and inadequate care while the government claims medical records show he is stable.[Al Jazeera]