Sulaiman Khan, the son of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, has said no one has seen or heard from his father since August, and has warned that his father’s life is in danger. The warning, reported by The Independent citing Associated Press reporting, has put the conditions of the former prime minister’s imprisonment back in the spotlight.
Sulaiman said his father told the family in August that he was being tortured, and that the family and his father’s lawyers have had no contact with him since. He blamed Pakistan‘s army chief, General Asim Munir, for his father’s continued incarceration, and accused the authorities of ignoring a Supreme Court order.
Key Takeaways
- Sulaiman Khan says no one has seen or heard from Imran Khan since August, when the former prime minister said he was being tortured.
- He accuses the authorities of ignoring an August Supreme Court order on medical assessment, family visits and lawyer access.
- Pakistan’s government denies mistreatment and says Khan is a convicted prisoner serving court-imposed sentences.
What Sulaiman Khan Said
Sulaiman, Imran Khan’s son from his first marriage to Jemima Goldsmith, said his father had explicitly warned in August that the regime was trying to kill him, drawing a comparison with former Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi, who died during a court hearing in 2019.
No one has seen or heard from my father since August, when he explicitly said that he was being tortured.
“It is clear that they are trying to kill him as he is by far the most popular political figure in the country, and they fear him,” Sulaiman said. “If the worst happens, no one should make any mistake who is responsible.”
He also said his father’s health was deteriorating because of the treatment he had been subjected to in prison, and cited the United Nations special rapporteur on torture, saying the official had repeatedly stated that his father’s treatment amounted to torture. These are allegations made by Sulaiman Khan, and they have not been established as proven facts.
The Court Order and Medical Access
At the centre of Sulaiman’s complaint is an August Supreme Court order that, according to the reports, directed that Khan be assessed and treated at the private Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad and be granted regular family visits and access to his lawyers. Sulaiman accused General Munir of continuing to ignore that order.
The family had previously raised concerns about Khan’s health and eyesight, and about whether he was receiving proper medical treatment. Sulaiman said his father had been in exceptionally good physical condition when he was imprisoned three years ago, despite having survived an assassination attempt in which he was shot in the leg.
His brother Kasim Khan has separately alleged that prison conditions have severely worsened recently, and that their father was being kept isolated for more than 23 hours a day. Those remarks were made in an interview broadcast during the second England-Pakistan Test at Lord’s, which also drew an objection from the Pakistan Cricket Board over the broadcast.
The Government’s Response
Pakistan’s government has denied allegations of mistreatment and solitary confinement. The Ministry of Information told the Associated Press in a written response in August that Khan is not held under a government order but as a convicted prisoner serving sentences imposed by courts following judicial proceedings.
Khan, 74, is serving a prison sentence at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi following convictions on corruption and bribery charges. The former prime minister, who served from 2018 to 2022, and the former national cricket captain, faces charges in more than 100 cases and has been in prison since August 2023. He has denied the accusations against him, calling them politically motivated.
Pakistani authorities have rejected claims that Khan is being mistreated in custody, saying he receives appropriate medical care and prison facilities. The two accounts therefore remain far apart: the family says contact has been cut off since August and a court order has been ignored, while the government says Khan is serving court sentences and denies mistreatment.
Wider Context
The warning comes against a tense backdrop in Pakistan. Khan’s three sisters, Aleema Khan, Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi, were detained in September 2026 under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance ahead of planned protests. Sulaiman and his brother Kasim have also reportedly been advised against travelling to Pakistan to campaign for their father’s release following the arrests of other family members.
On October 11, President Asif Ali Zardari declared a state of emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and suspended the provincial government led by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, citing Islamist militancy in the region bordering Afghanistan. The warning also lands amid wider regional mediation efforts, with diplomats working to keep channels open across a volatile region.
- The family says there has been no contact with Imran Khan since August.
- The dispute centres on a Supreme Court order on hospital assessment and visits.
- The government denies mistreatment and points to court-imposed sentences.
- Khan’s sisters were detained in September ahead of planned protests.
What to Watch Next
What happens next will turn on the questions already at the heart of this dispute: whether family members and lawyers regain contact with Khan, whether the Supreme Court order on medical assessment and visits is complied with, and whether the government offers any further response to the family’s warning. For now, the family says it has heard nothing since August, and the government says Khan is a convicted prisoner serving court sentences — leaving the two sides as far apart as ever.