Asked if he has a message for PTI supporters, Kasim asks them to ‘keep the faith and keep fighting’
Sulaiman Khan and Kasim Khan, sons of jailed former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, pose for a photo on the day of an interview with Reuters in London, Britain February 16, 2026. — REUTERS
Imran Khan’s sons have cast doubt on his medical report, saying they fear for their father’s deteriorating health in prison as they seek permission to visit the former prime minister and urge authorities to grant access after a gap of more than two years.
Imran’s lawyer, Barrister Salman Safdar, told the Supreme Court last week that the former prime minister had lost significant sight in his right eye while in custody. A medical board said on Monday that the swelling had reduced after treatment and his vision had improved.
speaks to Reuters in London, where they are based, Khan’s sons, Kasim and Sulaiman, 26 and 29, said they were unsure of the medical report. They spoke to their father on Thursday for the first time since September.
They said their father usually avoids discussing his health, but during the call he expressed frustration and said he had been denied treatment for his eye for a few months.
“It’s hard not to feel low at times because we’ve been away from him for so long,” Kasim said of his father, adding that he should be moved to a proper medical facility and have access to his private doctors.
Authorities say medical procedures are underway and reject opposition claims of neglect. The Supreme Court has called for details of his treatment.
Imprisoned since August 2023
Imran, 73, has been imprisoned since August 2023 following convictions that he and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party call politically motivated.
Since his ouster in 2022 in a vote of no confidence, he has faced several cases, including over state gifts and an illegal marriage. Some sentences have been suspended or overturned pending appeals. He pleads not guilty.
Kasim and Sulaiman were raised in the UK following Imran’s divorce from their mother, British socialite and filmmaker Jemima Goldsmith. They have not seen their father since November 2022, after he survived an assassination attempt. They said they applied for the visa last month but have yet to receive a response.
Sulaiman, when asked why there might be a delay, said authorities might be “concerned that if we visit him, it would create more noise” and raise awareness of his plight.
The Pakistani embassy in London and the foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Kasim said their immediate concern was his health, but there were other pressing issues including “his freedom, adherence to proper human rights processes and also the rule of law and just making sure he’s allowed a proper, fair trial”.
The PTI came to power in 2018 and maintains a large support base across provinces.
For four days, PTI supporters have blocked major highways connecting Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to Punjab, stranding thousands of vehicles and affecting fuel and food supplies in some areas.
Asked if he had a message for PTI supporters, Kasim asked them to “keep the faith and keep fighting” and added, “That’s the same kind of message we are trying to stick to.”
