The Guardian
· collected 2026-09-15 · by Hannah Ellis-Petersen in Delhi and Shah Meer Baloch in Islamabad
The sons of Imran Khan have accused Pakistan’s powerful army chief of a “personal vendetta” against the incarcerated former prime minister and expressed fears their father is being “slowly killed” in jail, as international pressure mounts over his prison conditions.
asserted
pressure → accuse → conditions
Kasim Khan, 27, and Sulaiman Khan, 29, have become strong advocates for the release of their father, who has been held in Adiala prison in Rawalpindi since his arrest in 2023, and is serving a 14-year sentence on corruption charges.
asserted
who → become → charges
They have not been allowed to speak to Khan for more than six months and have been prevented from travelling from the UK to Pakistan to lobby for his release.
asserted
They → allow → release
On Wednesday, the supreme court will rule on a case alleging the Pakistan government has been in contempt of court by denying Khan private hospital treatment for a worsening eye condition and preventing family from visiting him or speaking with him in jail for more than six months, in violation of a court order.
asserted
government → rule → order
Khan is being held in solitary confinement, in a cell alleged to be 6ft by 8ft.
asserted
Khan → hold → ft
Later this month, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) – the political party Khan founded in 1996, four years after retiring from international cricket – is planning a nationwide march demanding his release.
asserted
Khan → found → release
Speaking to the Guardian from London, Khan’s sons – from his first marriage to Jemima Goldsmith – said they were “deeply, deeply concerned” about their father’s health, and that the conditions he was being kept in amounted to “a form of mental and physical torture”.
asserted
he → speak → torture
“The reality is that he is locked in a tiny 6x8ft cell without human contact,” said Sulaiman.
asserted
Sulaiman → lock → contact
“He hasn’t been allowed new books for months and he’s not been allowed to see or speak to his family or a neutral doctor.
asserted
he → allow → family
He has an eye condition which was neglected for months and has meant he’s probably almost lost sight in one eye.”
asserted
he → have → eye
Late last month, Sky Sports aired an interview with Khasim and Sulaiman during its coverage of a test match between England and Pakistan.
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Sports → air → England
The Pakistan Cricket Board, which has close links to the government and whose chair is also the interior minister, made a formal complaint to Sky Sports after the broadcast and the Pakistani team threatened to refuse to return to the field after the lunch break.
asserted
team → have → break
“It shows how out of touch they are with the rest of the world, that they thought they could silence media like they do at home,” Sulaiman said of the complaint.
uncertain
Sulaiman → show → complaint
“It just exposed them for the authoritarian regime that they are.”
asserted
they → expose → regime
The UN has said Khan’s prolonged detention violates international law and the UN’s special rapporteur on torture said his solitary confinement and detention conditions could amount to psychological torture.
uncertain
confinement → say → torture
Sulaiman said the family had been told their father, 73, had also been diagnosed with high blood pressure.
asserted
father → say → pressure
“More than anything, we just want to speak to him and make sure he’s OK,” he said.
asserted
he → want → him
Khan’s sons said they were particularly concerned that the “cruel” treatment was being driven by a “personal grudge” by Asim Munir, Pakistan’s chief of defence forces and army chief.
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treatment → say → forces
When Khan was the prime minister, he unceremoniously demoted Munir, and the bad blood between them was well known.
asserted
blood → demote → them
When Munir was made army chief in 2022, the persecution of Khan increased notably.
asserted
persecution → make → Khan
“It’s very clear this is being driven by personal grudge and that’s one of the reasons he’s being treated so harshly, on the orders of Asim Munir,” said Sulaiman.
asserted
Sulaiman → ’ → Munir
Munir’s powers expanded over the past year as he established himself as a close ally of Donald Trump, who referred to him as “my favourite field marshal”.
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who → expand → marshal
Last month, the supreme court ruled that Khan should be taken to a private hospital for treatment for a blood clot in his retinal vein, believed to have destroyed 85% of the sight in his right eye because of a prolonged lack of medical attention.
asserted
Khan → rule → attention
Khan was instead taken briefly to a government hospital, where he was given several injections and ruled fit to return to prison, prompting outrage from his family and political party.
“There’s still been no light shed on our father’s real condition from an unbiased, neutral physician,” said Kasim.
asserted
Kasim → take → physician
“We believe they’re trying to slowly kill him in there.
asserted
they → believe → him
Just as soon as there’s less pressure, we are sure they will put even harsher restrictions on him and try to finish him off.
asserted
they → ’ → him
In a statement, the Pakistan government called the allegations around Khan “fake propaganda” and said he was being kept in adequate conditions, with access to home-cooked food, nuts, bottled water, exercise equipment, family visits and regular medical examinations.
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he → call → food
“The government of Pakistan categorically rejects allegations that the convicted prisoner is being subjected to punitive solitary confinement, cruelty or deprivation,” the statement said.
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statement → reject → confinement
It was widely acknowledged that Khan came to power in 2018 with the backing of Pakistan’s military, widely referred to as the “establishment”, which has long held an oversized role in the country’s governance.
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which → acknowledge → governance
Khan had promised to build a “naya Pakistan” (new Pakistan), which would end corruption and follow the rule of law.
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which → promise → law
However, his time in power was plagued by allegations of corruption, press censorship and persecution of his opponents.
asserted
time → plague → opponents
He was toppled in 2022 after falling out with his military benefactors.
asserted
He → topple → benefactors
He then began a campaign calling for the generals to be kept out of government.
asserted
generals → begin → government
By 2023, as his accusations against the military grew, Khan turned from alleged persecutor to the persecuted.
asserted
Khan → grow → persecuted
He was arrested and charged with more than 100 crimes, including alleged corruption and sedition, which he claims are trumped up to keep him out of power.
uncertain
he → arrest → power
Despite his toppling and imprisonment, Khan still remains popular.
asserted
Khan → remain → toppling
“They want to do everything they can to sideline him and disappear him from public life,” Kasim said.
asserted
Kasim → want → life
Sulaiman said that while it was “clear the establishment think they can get away with it without any kind of repercussions”, it was also evident the government had been rattled by international coverage of Khan’s case.
asserted
government → say → case
Khan’s sons said that while they were keen to travel to Pakistan, their visas had still not been granted more than nine months after applying.
asserted
visas → say → Pakistan
They emphasised they had no interest in entering politics in Pakistan or leading Khan’s PTI party in his absence.
asserted
they → emphasise → absence
…and 9 more, not listed.
The Aporia
