Imran Khan‘s son has alleged that the former Pakistan prime minister’s living conditions in solitary confinement at the Adiala jail were so poor, they were comparable to the “death cells” occupied by convicts serving capital punishment.
Kasim Khan, the political leader’s 26-year-old son, claimed his father has not been allowed to see his doctor and his access to lawyers was restricted.
He told The Independent: “The conditions my father is kept in are extremely harsh. He is confined to what is effectively a death cell, with poor hygiene and no proper facilities. For almost a year now, he has not been allowed to see his personal doctor.
“There have been periods where we, his children, went six months without a single conversation with him. All of this is meant to physically torture him and mentally break him. But despite it all, he has remained steadfast, holding on to his faith and his belief in the people of Pakistan, democracy and rule of law,” he said.
“It’s extremely hard to see our father treated like this. He’s sacrificed everything for his country. To watch him now, locked in a death cell is extremely painful.”
Maryam Riaz Wattoo, Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi’s sister, said on Friday two new appeals to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture were filed by her and Khan’s sons – Kasim and Sulaiman – on behalf of the couple, alleging torture and inhumane treatment in custody. A UN human rights working group previously ruled Khan’s detention was arbitrary and unlawful, calling for Khan’s immediate release and compensation under international law.
Zulfiqar Ali Bukhari, Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party spokesperson, said “Imran Khan and his wife have endured inhumane conditions for far too long and it is only getting worse”.
“This physical and mental torture of trying to break them has never been witnessed in our history before. Although the imprisonment is illegal, but as a worse case they deserve their basic prisoner rights not to mention basic humans right and dignity,” he said.
Khan, 72, was ousted in 2022 via a no-confidence motion and arrested in May 2023 on corruption charges, sparking nationwide protests. After being briefly released, he was jailed again in August 2023 amid ongoing legal battles. Khan accused the military and the US of conspiring against him – claims both denied – and his party has faced a harsh state crackdown, with over 100 senior members recently sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Kasim said he joined Ms Wattoo in petitioning the UN because “this is no longer just about my father”.
“It’s about the human rights abuses happening in Pakistan and the open attack on democracy. When an elected leader is kept in a death cell, denied medical care, and cut off from his children for months at a time – and when thousands of ordinary people are abducted or pushed into military courts – it shows that no one is safe.”
“Every member of our family has faced political persecution in one form or another,” Ms Wattoo told The Independent. She alleged that 51-year-old Bibi – who is also in prison – is enduring severe political persecution under inhumane conditions, including overcrowded cells infested with rats and insects, denial of medical care, solitary confinement, and restricted family contact.
She said their mother’s health was deteriorating, “and I fear she may never get to see Bushra again in this lifetime”.
“Living here in the UAE, whenever I step outside and feel the searing heat, I cannot stop thinking of Bushra trapped in a small concrete cell, often without electricity or cooling,” she added.
“She (Bushra Bibi) has suffered electric shocks as rain-water seeps into the electric circuits. She is forced to use contaminated water for daily use including for ablution, and repeatedly denied access to her family and legal counsel in violation of court orders and constitutional guarantees. Her trials are deliberately delayed, closed to family and the public, and conducted under unfair restrictions, undermining her right to due process,” she alleged.
Khan has, according to his lawyers, over 200 cases against him. The latest petitions to the UN request the agency to investigate the couple’s cases and to pressure Pakistan to immediately “cease any further torture or ill-treatment”.
The Independent has contacted authorities at the Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, Punjab, for comment.
