After rumours of his going missing, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, has been reported to be alive but facing confinement and harassment. His sister, Dr Uzma Khanum, on Tuesday confirmed that Mr Khan was “perfectly fine”, but he was tortured and harassed. The rumours began as Khan’s family was denied a meeting for the past month.
Soon it spread like fire, leading to protests by his political party. After Uzma’s meeting with the 73-year-old cricketer turned politician, the Pakistan-Tareef-e-Insaf(PTI) stated that he was subject to harassment and solitary confinement. Uzma revealed that her brother, the former Prime Minister, was confined in his cell and was not allowed to go outside except for a short time. He also stated that he was not allowed to meet people, which is worsening his situation.
Khan has been in jail since 2023, and an unannounced ban on meeting him has been imposed by the authorities since last month. He was put behind bars for his involvement in several cases. The PTI confirmed that after protests outside the Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, Khan’s sister, Dr Uzma, was allowed to meet him. It was also reported that the Pakistani government imposed Section 144, which prevented a gathering of four or more than fous in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
Situations around Imran Khan’s health and well-being became so tense that his son Kasin Khan earlier asked the authorities to provide proof of his father’s well-being and whether he was alive. He took to X to inform authorities that the PTI will start nationwide protests if the sisters of Imran Khan are not allowed to see him at the earliest.
The protests by PTI continued despite Section 144 in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Talal Chaudhar, the Minister of State for Interior, stated that section 144 will be imposed at all costs in both cities despite protests. As per reports by the Express Tribune, the other sister of Mr Khan, Aleema Khan, has filed a contempt of court petition in the High Court against the Adiala jail authorities.
