London: (Web Desk) The sons of Pakistan Tehreek‑e‑Insaf (PTI) founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan have accused the government of subjecting their father to solitary confinement, poor food and other “torture‑like tactics.”
In an interview with British journalist Mehdi Hasan, Qasim Khan and Sulaiman Khan spoke about their father’s imprisonment. Sulaiman said his last conversation with Imran Khan was in late July this year. Although Pakistan’s courts had granted weekly phone calls, he claimed the order has not been implemented for nearly two years. Qasim added that he managed a brief five‑to‑six‑minute call with his father in September.
Asked about their last in‑person meeting, Sulaiman recalled visiting Pakistan in November 2022 after Khan was shot, saying that was the final time they saw him.
Responding to government claims that Khan is treated “like royalty,” Qasim rejected the assertion, saying his father is kept in a cramped cell measuring roughly six feet by eight feet, with dirty water for sanitation and visibly poor food. “He is kept in complete isolation, not even allowed to speak to guards. These are clear attempts to break him — torture tactics,” he said.
Sulaiman added that their father has long taken risks and faced danger, something they struggled to understand as children.
Government Response
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s spokesperson Musharraf Zaidi dismissed the allegations, insisting Khan is not confined to a cell. He said the state prioritizes his security and well‑being, providing him with private quarters, a gym, an outdoor lawn, space for walks, and access to books — facilities not available to other prisoners.
Zaidi added that Khan spends around six hours a day outside his sleeping quarters and is assisted by a cook and a medical officer who checks every meal. He argued that Khan’s supporters and family are being misled, and cautioned that any visit by his children could be politicized. “If such visits are turned into political events, local authorities will take necessary steps to disperse crowds and prevent disorder,” he said.
