Imran Khan ‘mentally tortured’, says sister after rare jail meeting amid rumour storm

Speaking to reporters, Dr Khanum said her brother appeared physically fine but “angry” over his treatment, claiming he is confined to his cell almost all day, allowed outside only briefly, and denied communication with anyone.

She also said Imran Khan blamed Pakistan’s powerful Army Chief, General Asim Munir, for his current condition and continued incarceration.

General Munir, widely seen as the most influential figure in the country after recent military and constitutional developments, has long been at the centre of Khan’s accusations.

The meeting came after weeks of rising speculation about the former Prime Minister’s health.

His family had been barred from visiting him, and supporters staged protests in Islamabad and Rawalpindi demanding proof he was alive. Despite restrictions on public gatherings, demonstrations were held outside the Islamabad High Court.

Concerns deepened last month when Khan’s three sisters — Noreen Niazi, Aleema Khan and Uzma Khan — alleged they were assaulted while attempting to see him.

His sons also expressed fears that authorities were concealing “something irreversible” about their father’s well-being.

One son, Kasim Khan, told Reuters they had no direct contact with him despite a court-ordered provision for weekly meetings. The family further alleged that jail officials blocked visits by his personal doctor.

Before Tuesday’s meeting, neither relatives nor Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf members had seen Imran Khan for more than 25 days, fuelling widespread rumours, first pushed by social media accounts in Afghanistan, that he had died in custody and the government was trying to suppress the news.

Adding to the pressure, PTI Senator Khurram Zeeshan claimed over the weekend that Khan was being held in extreme isolation to force him into exile.

He alleged the Shehbaz Sharif government feared releasing images or video evidence that would counter rumours because of Khan’s enduring mass support.

The 72-year-old former cricket star, who led Pakistan to a World Cup victory before entering politics, has been in jail since August 2023.

Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, already strained due to military clashes along the border, have further complicated the information vacuum surrounding his condition.