The sons of Imran Khan have voiced concerns over their father’s deteriorating health in a Pakistan jail.
They are urging authorities to grant them access to Pakistan’s former Prime Minister after more than two years apart.
Last week, Khan’s lawyer informed Pakistan’s Supreme Court that the ex-cricketer had suffered significant vision loss in his right eye while in custody.
However, a medical board stated on Monday that swelling had reduced following treatment and his vision had improved.
Speaking from London, where they reside, Khan’s sons, Kasim, 26, and Sulaiman, 29, expressed uncertainty regarding the medical report.
They managed to speak to their father on Thursday, marking their first conversation since September.
During the call, their father, who typically avoids discussing his health, conveyed frustration, stating 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 so long,” Kasim said of his father, whom he and his brother call ‘Abba’, adding that he should be moved to a proper medical facility and have access to his private doctors.
Authorities say medical procedures are under way and reject opposition claims of neglect. The Supreme Court has sought details of his treatment.
Jailed since August 2023
Khan, 73, has been jailed since August 2023 after convictions he and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party call politically motivated.
Since his 2022 ouster in a no-confidence vote, he has faced multiple cases, including over state gifts and an unlawful marriage. Some convictions have been suspended or overturned, with appeals pending. He denies wrongdoing.
Kasim and Sulaiman were raised in Britain after Khan’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 visas last month but have yet to receive a response.
“Maybe the establishment is worried that if we go and see him it would create more noise, and just more attention to his situation,” Sulaiman said, when asked why there could be a delay.
The Pakistani embassy in London and Pakistan’s 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, abiding by correct human rights processes and also the rule of law and just ensuring that he’s allowed a proper, fair trial”.
Broadcast outlets have been restricted from airing Khan’s name and speeches or even showing his image. Only a single court photograph has been publicly available since his imprisonment.
PTI swept to power in 2018 and retains a large support base across key provinces.
For four days, PTI supporters have blocked major highways linking Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Punjab, stranding thousands of vehicles and affecting fuel and food supplies in some areas.
Asked if they had a message for Khan’s supporters, Kasim asked them to “keep faith and keep fighting”, adding: “It’s the same kind of message we’re trying to hold on to.”
