Islamabad: Concerns over the wellbeing of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan escalated sharply after his son, Kasim Khan, issued a public appeal urging international human rights organisations and democratic nations to demand “proof of life” from Pakistani authorities. In a post on X, Kasim claimed his father has been held in total solitary confinement for six weeks inside a so-called “death cell” at Adiala Jail, where Khan has been imprisoned since August 2023 on charges he insists are politically motivated.
Kasim accused the jail administration of blocking all family visits, legal meetings, and phone calls, despite court orders permitting weekly interactions. He warned that the Pakistani state would face “full legal, moral, and international accountability” should any harm come to the PTI founder, calling the prolonged isolation “inhumane and unlawful.”
Khan’s sister Aleema Khan backed the allegations, saying the family has had no verified or direct access to him for weeks. Describing the isolation as “illegal,” she argued that authorities fear public anger due to Khan’s “90% popularity.” PTI leaders meanwhile report they were last allowed to meet him on November 4, fueling a wave of unverified death rumours that jail officials have dismissed, insisting Khan is in good health and has not been moved anywhere.
Outside Adiala Jail, protests led by Khan’s sisters — Aleema, Noreen, and Uzma — ended in confrontations with police, who allegedly used force, including physical assault, to disperse demonstrators.
PTI spokesperson Zulfikar Bukhari raised alarms about Khan’s deteriorating health, asserting that authorities are denying him books, newspapers, medical treatment, and even the court-approved six-person visitation list — a restriction that has also reportedly blocked access to his wife, Bushra Bibi. PTI continues to claim that Khan is being kept under “terrorist-cell conditions” amounting to psychological torture.
Adding to the escalating tension, Khan’s sister Noreen Niazi issued a dire warning to supporters planning to gather outside the Islamabad High Court. She cautioned that the government could repeat the violent suppression seen during the May 9, 2023 protests, recalling how “countless people were shot”, bodies were hidden, and even children were targeted by snipers. Despite the risks, she noted that PTI supporters remain undeterred and continue to mobilize in solidarity with the former prime minister.
