Pakistan's Imran Khan Faces Allegations of Poor Treatment in Prison

The sons of jailed former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan say they fear for their father’s health, alleging that prolonged isolation in prison amounts to “petty torture” and that he has been denied adequate medical care and contact with his family. “Where is the humanity in not allowing someone to receive basic health checks, basic treatment, (subjecting him to) petty torture techniques, not allowing him to have any books, phone calls with his children, and (confining him to) 23 hours in an isolated cell,” Imran’s son Kasim Khan told Al Jazeera in an interview. Kasim and his brother Sulaiman are demanding an independent assessment of their father’s physical and mental health, saying they want evidence beyond assurances from Pakistani authorities that he is well. “He is being mentally tortured with this solitary confinement, prolonged isolation,” Sulaiman Khan said. “We want his health to be independently reviewed. So that we have proof that what the government is saying, which is that his condition is fine, his physical and mental conditions are fine…” The allegations come days after Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered that Khan be taken to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad for a medical evaluation. The court had also allowed family visits and phone calls with his sons. Instead, Khan was taken to the government-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) for a check-up before being returned to prison. He spoke of a recent incident where Imran was supposed to be taken to Shifa International, a private hospital, for medical evaluation after the Pakistan Supreme Court bench had allowed the same on August 18. However, the authorities took him to a government facility. After a few hours of checkup, he was returned straight to his cell . Pakistani government, however, has denied any mistreatment of the cricket icon-turned-politician and said it is complying with the Supreme Court. Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has denied the allegations, saying they are not supported by prison or medical records. The ministry said Khan has undergone 30 medical examinations since his imprisonment, in addition to regular checks by a prison doctor, and that doctors recently found him “oriented” and “stable”. “What are they hiding then? We want to see proof that he is okay,” Sulaiman said. Kasim said his father was experiencing heart palpitations and severe anxiety, adding that the symptoms were deeply worrying for the family. “He is facing kind of severe anxiety, which is an extreme worry for us.” “He is the most calm, relaxed, mentally strong, and tough person I have ever known. And so to hear that he’s facing any sort of anxiety or stress, it’s unfathomable,” he said. He said they were now “trying to make as much noise as possible… so the world can see how corrupt it (government) is and their complete lack of respect for the rule of law”. Imran Khan was ousted as prime minister in April 2022 and has been imprisoned since August 2023. He has faced more than 100 legal cases, including charges involving state secrets and the sale of state gifts, which he denies and describes as politically motivated. Most of his convictions have been suspended or overturned, with appeals pending. According to the BBC, he has faced charges in over 100 cases, ranging from leaking the state’s secrets to selling off state gifts — all of which he has disapproved of, terming them “politically motivated”.