Lahore: Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan is alive but being subjected to “mental torture in solitary confinement,” his sister, Dr Uzma Khan, said on Tuesday after meeting him at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail.
The development comes amid growing social media speculation about Khan’s health, as his family had been denied prison visits for over a month.
Speaking after the visit, Dr Uzma Khan said the 73-year-old former cricketer-turned-politician had been placed in solitary confinement and subjected to mental torment. “Praise be to Allah! His health is perfectly fine. However, he was very angry and said that they are subjecting him to mental torture,” she said.
Dr Uzma further claimed that Khan told her authorities were mentally torturing him by keeping him in his cell for most of the day, with only brief periods allowed outside. She added that he was not permitted to communicate with anyone.
Khan has been in prison since August 2023 in multiple cases. An unannounced ban on visits had prevented his family from seeing him for over a month. Adiala Jail authorities, however, stated that Khan remains in "good health."
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) confirmed Dr Uzma’s meeting with Khan, noting that it took place after a large gathering of party supporters outside the jail.
Meanwhile, the Punjab government deployed the entire Rawalpindi police force along Adiala Road to prevent PTI protests. Section 144, prohibiting gatherings of four or more people, has been imposed in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Station house officers from eight police stations in Rawalpindi, along with senior officers, are stationed outside Adiala Jail. “An eight-kilometre stretch has been completely sealed. Schools and colleges are closed, and residents must show ID to pass through the area,” a Punjab government official told PTI.
A group of lawyers also demonstrated outside the Islamabad High Court against Khan’s solitary confinement. Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry said compliance with Section 144 would be strictly enforced in both Islamabad and Rawalpindi. “Whether they come to the Islamabad High Court or the Adiala Jail, action under Section 144 would be carried out without any discrimination,” he added.
Earlier, Khan’s son Kasim Khan demanded that the government provide proof that his father is alive, posting on X, “We demand proof of (Imran Khan)’s life.”
The PTI has warned of nationwide protests if Khan’s sisters are not allowed to meet him. They have also cautioned that if anything happens to Khan, those responsible and their families will not be spared by Pakistanis both domestically and abroad.
With PTI inputs