- Sons say they last met Imran in person in November 2022.
- Kasim Khan says father is being held in 6×8 cell.
- “Prison conditions, including food, are terrible.”
Sulaiman and Kasim, sons of jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, have expressed concern over the former prime minister’s prison conditions and “prolonged” lack of communication, saying court-mandated contact has not consistently been allowed.
“The [jail authorities] not even allowing guards to talk to him [Imran] because they want total isolation from every other person just to try to break him,” Kasim said during an interview with journalist Mehdi Hasan.
Imran, the ousted prime minister, has been behind bars for more than two years. However, his imprisonment has consistently proved a flashpoint for the government as PTI protests, including clashes with police and prison staff, continue over meetings with the former prime minister.
The last meeting with the jailed ex-PM was held on December 2 when his sister Uzma was allowed to meet him after the former ruling party raised concerns about his health and even threatened to hold a protest outside the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and then march towards the jail.
Amidst all this commotion, the government, Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry and Prime Minister’s Political Affairs Adviser Rana Sanaullah hinted at transferring Imran to any other jail – an option rejected by the Adiala jail administration, which has maintained that no such proposal was on the table.
During the interview — a four-minute preview available to the public at Zeteo’s website, Hasan asked when the last time they spoke to their father was.
Sulaiman said he last spoke to his father in late July, despite court orders allowing weekly calls. Kasim said his last conversation with Imran lasted about six minutes and took place about three months ago.
But in response to the claim, Pakinomist news reporter Shabbir Dar wrote X that the jailed PTI founder himself told reporters that his conversation with his sons lasts half an hour or so.
Asked about personal meetings, Sulaiman said the last time they met Imran was in November 2022 after an assassination attempt on the PTI founder’s life. “We were there for a week, I think,” he said.
Kasim and Sulaiman were also asked about the government’s claims of treating Imran as a “prince” during his imprisonment.
He said Imran was kept in a cell that was six feet by eight inches, “barely enough to stand”.
“The conditions are terrible. He washes himself in brown, murky water. And the food he has is – it’s not him to complain – but apparently it’s terrible. It’s far from princely,” 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 the … complete isolation,” he said.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s spokesman Mosharraf Zaidi dismissed the allegations, saying Imran is not being held in a cell but in designated living quarters with access to outdoor spaces, exercise facilities, books and a private chef.
Issue a statement to Zeteo in response to Imran’s sons’ interview, Zaidi said a doctor is monitoring Imran’s meals and described allegations of abuse as misinformation.
Zaidi said Imran’s children would be dealt with according to the law if they visited Pakistan, but warned that authorities would act to prevent disorder if a visit was politicized.
Imran remains behind bars as the trial continues and the conviction in the Toshakhana-2 case came as the latest blow to the former prime minister.
Imran faces dozens of cases filed since he was ousted from office in 2022, ranging from corruption to anti-terrorism and state secrets charges. The jailed PTI founder has denied wrongdoing in all the cases, which his party says are politically motivated.
