The sons of Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister Imran Khan say they fear authorities are hiding “something irreversible” about his condition, after more than three weeks with no evidence that he is still alive.

Kasim Khan, one of Khan’s sons, told Reuters that the family has had no direct or verifiable contact with the former premier despite a court order allowing weekly prison meetings.

“Not knowing whether your father is safe, injured or even alive is a form of psychological torture,” Kasim said in written remarks, adding that there had been no independently confirmed communication for several months.

“Today, we have no verifiable information at all about his condition,” he added. “Our greatest fear is that something irreversible is being hidden from us.”

The family has repeatedly requested access for Khan’s personal physician, who has not been allowed to examine him for over a year.

Pakistan’s interior ministry did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment. However, a jail official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Khan was in good health and that he was unaware of any plans to transfer him to a higher-security facility.

Imran Khan, 73, has been imprisoned since August 2023 after being convicted in several cases he claims are politically motivated following his 2022 parliamentary ouster.

His initial conviction was linked to allegations of unlawfully selling gifts received while in office—widely known as the Toshakhana case. Subsequent verdicts added longer jail terms, including 10 years for allegedly leaking a diplomatic cable and 14 years for corruption in the Al-Qadir Trust case.

Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), maintains that the cases are part of a government attempt to remove him from politics.

Family Anxiety Deepened by Lack of Information

The prolonged absence of communication has heightened the family’s fears of what they describe as a “deliberate effort” to keep Khan out of public view.

Television networks have reportedly been told not to broadcast Khan’s name or image, leaving a single grainy court photo as the only known recent image of him.

“This isolation is intentional,” said Kasim. “They are scared of him. He is Pakistan’s most popular leader, and they know they cannot defeat him democratically.”

Kasim and his older brother, Suleiman Isa Khan—both based in London with their mother, Jemima Goldsmith—have largely stayed away from Pakistan’s political scene. They last saw their father in November 2022, when they visited him after he survived an assassination attempt.

“Seeing our father in that state is something you don’t forget,” Kasim said. “We were told he would recover with time. Now, after weeks of silence and no proof of life, that memory carries a different weight.”

The family is pursuing both domestic and international channels, including appeals to human rights organisations, to secure access to Khan.

“This is not just a political dispute,” Kasim said. “It is a human rights emergency. Pressure must come from every direction. We draw strength from him, but we need to know he is safe.”

— The Bangla Sun