By Urdu Report Editorial T
The sons of former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan have called for their father to undergo a medical examination by an independent doctor or his personal physician, with the results made public.
Speaking in an interview on Thursday, Suleiman Khan said the Pakistani government should provide evidence if its claim that Imran Khan is in good health is accurate.
“They should show us what they are hiding,” Suleiman said, calling for his father to be examined by an independent doctor or his own physician.
Dispute over Imran Khan’s medical care
On August 18, Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered that Imran Khan be transferred to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad for treatment.
The government instead brought him to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), saying security concerns caused by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf supporters around Shifa Hospital made the transfer difficult.
The government later said Imran Khan was found to be healthy after a medical examination at PIMS.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf rejected that claim and filed a contempt petition, arguing that the court’s order had not been followed. The government also filed a review petition against the Supreme Court decision.
Imran Khan’s sons, however, have described their father’s health as critical.
Sons raise concerns over his health
In an interview with BBC News, Suleiman claimed that Imran Khan’s condition had gradually deteriorated over the past three years.
He said the situation had reached a point where his father’s health was “critically fragile.”
Suleiman also claimed that the Supreme Court had ordered treatment at an independent hospital but that his father was instead taken to a government facility.
He said only a basic medical examination was conducted before Imran Khan was returned to prison.
Suleiman further claimed that his father had faced vision problems during the past three years and that he had lost around 80% of the vision in his right eye.
He said it was difficult for the family to know the full details, but claimed that when their aunt visited Imran Khan, he was wearing an eye patch and was experiencing anxiety while living in isolation. He also claimed that his blood pressure was elevated.
Suleiman alleged that his father had been kept in complete isolation for the past 10 months and had been denied meetings with lawyers and family members.
His brother Kasim said the situation was particularly worrying for the family because they had always viewed their father as a strong and dignified person.
Sons say former UK government advised them not to visit
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said in March that Kasim and Suleiman could travel to Pakistan using identity cards issued to overseas Pakistanis and meet their father.
Kasim told that the former British government of Keir Starmer and David Lammy had advised them not to travel to Pakistan to visit Imran Khan.
He said more than two years had passed since they had last seen their father at that time.
Kasim added that they were no longer concerned about security risks and simply wanted to see their father and make sure he was safe.
He also expressed concern about what he described as the secrecy surrounding Imran Khan’s health.
Kasim said the family hoped the new foreign secretary could provide some reassurance that they would receive some form of assistance if they travelled to Pakistan.
Political and legal background
An Islamabad court sentenced Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, to 17 years in prison each in December 2025 in the Toshakhana 2 case.
They had previously received 14-year prison sentences in the Toshakhana 1 case. The Islamabad High Court overturned those sentences in April 2024.
In 2024, a special court also sentenced Imran Khan to 10 years in prison in the cipher case.
Suleiman claimed that the government was keeping his father in prison because of his political popularity and alleged that efforts were being made to silence and isolate him.
He said that if Imran Khan was healthy and safe, he should be allowed to undergo examination and treatment at an independent hospital.
Sky Sports interview delayed
The interview with Kasim and Suleiman also featured in coverage surrounding the Pakistan-England Test series at Lord’s.
Sky Sports had planned to broadcast the interview with Imran Khan’s sons during the lunch break on the first day of the second Test.
According to reports by a cricket websites, the Pakistan Cricket Board filed a formal complaint with Sky Sports over the broadcast of the interview.
Sky News eventually aired the 18-minute interview after a delay, while Pakistan’s state sports broadcaster PTV did not broadcast it.
The interview was conducted by former England captain Michael Atherton, during which both Kasim and Suleiman again expressed concerns about their father’s health.
Last week, 21 former cricket captains, including Atherton, wrote to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urging him to ensure that Imran Khan received appropriate care in prison.
The letter was also signed by former captains from India, Australia, England, the West Indies and New Zealand.
Read More
PTI Files Contempt of Court Petition Over Imran Khan’s Hospital Transfer – urdureport.com
