- Kasim says he is trying to travel to Pakistan but is being “denied a visa”.
- “Denying a prisoner treatment is cruel,” says Kasim.
- The statement comes amid controversy over Imran’s health.
Jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s son Kasim Khan has alleged that he and his brother are trying to travel to Pakistan to see their father, but the government is deliberately refusing to process their visa applications.
In a statement issued on X, Kasim said Imran has been held in “isolation” for 914 days, during which his health has deteriorated and he has been denied access to independent medical care.
He said denying medical treatment to a prisoner was “cruel” and preventing his children from seeing him was tantamount to collective punishment.
Kasim called on international human rights organizations and governments to speak out and act “before irreparable damage is done”.
The statement comes amid the latest controversy surrounding Imran’s health.
He recently underwent an eye procedure at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad, where doctors confirmed that pressure in blood vessels had affected his vision. PTI has accused the government of withholding details of his medical condition for several days.
It may be noted that Kasim and his brother Suleiman said in December 2025 that they had submitted visa applications and intended to visit Pakistan in January.
Imran’s sons have repeatedly claimed that their father is being held in a ‘death cell’ in Adiala prison in what they described as “horrendous” conditions, with prolonged restrictions on communication. They have said that court-mandated contact has not consistently been allowed.
Meetings with the PTI founder remain a bone of contention between the party and the government. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has confirmed that a general ban on meetings with the imprisoned politician has been in place since December 2025.
Kasim publicly highlighted his father’s imprisonment for the first time in May 2025. In June 2025, he went to X to express concern about Imran’s condition in prison. In a separate post, he criticized the incumbent government over what he described as his father’s imprisonment and “torture”.
The sons later said they feared authorities were hiding “something irreversible” about their father’s condition after more than three weeks with no evidence he was still alive.
The family had also sought insight for Imran’s personal doctor, who they say has not been allowed to examine him for more than a year.
However, the Adiala jail administration clarified that Imran will be provided all facilities for “B class” prisoners under the law, including tailored meals, health care, reading material, exercise and walks.
Imran, 72, has been in prison since August 2023 after being convicted in several cases he says are politically motivated following his dismissal from office in a 2022 parliamentary vote.
His first conviction was linked to allegations of illegal sale of government gifts, commonly referred to as the Toshakhana case. Subsequent convictions added lengthy prison terms, including 10 years for leaking a diplomatic cable and 14 years in a graft case related to the Al-Qadir Trust. Prosecutors allege the charity was involved in improper land deals.
Imran remains in jail while the trial continues, and his conviction in the Toshakhana-2 case marks the latest setback. He faces dozens of cases filed since 2022, ranging from corruption to anti-terror and state secrets charges. He has denied all charges, which his party says are politically motivated.
PTI maintains that the charges are aimed at excluding Imran Khan from public life and elections.
