London, United Kingdom – Sulaiman and Kasim Khan have not heard their father’s voice in almost six months.
asserted
Khan → hear → months
The last time they spoke to Imran Khan, the imprisoned former prime minister of Pakistan and cricket legend, was over Eid al-Fitr in March.
asserted
they → speak → March
The call lasted 20 minutes.
asserted
call → last → ?
Recommended Stories
list of 4 items- list 1 of 4Pakistan’s Khan in jail for 3 years: PTI rallies over ‘arbitrary detention’
- list 2 of 4Sister of ex-Pakistan PM Khan says he is being tortured in jail
- list 3 of
asserted
he → rally → jail
4Pakistan’s PTI seeks contempt action over jailed Imran Khan’s hospital move
- list 4 of
asserted
PTI → seek → move
4Give Imran Khan proper medical care, cricket legends urge Pakistani gov’t
asserted
legends → urge → gov’t
“We don’t know how much time we have to speak,” Kasim, 27, told Al Jazeera in London.
asserted
Kasim → know → London
“Usually it’s around the 20-minute mark.
asserted
it → ’ → mark
He frantically asks about our lives and gives us advice.
asserted
He → ask → advice
But when we ask about him, he very quickly shuts it down.
asserted
he → ask → it
He doesn’t seem to want to talk too much about how he is.
asserted
he → seem → ?
“You know, it is what it is,” Kasim recalled him saying.
asserted
him → know → ?
Three years have passed since Khan, 73, was imprisoned in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail.
asserted
Khan → pass → Jail
He has faced more than 100 legal cases since his 2022 ouster in a vote of no confidence, including charges of bribery, leaking state secrets and illegally selling state gifts.
asserted
He → face → gifts
He denies all of the accusations against him.
asserted
He → deny → him
All of his convictions but one have been suspended or overturned, with appeals pending.
Khan’s family and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party believe
asserted
family → suspend → one
the charges are politically motivated
asserted
charges → motivate → ?
Two of his sisters, Uzma and Noreen, were recently allowed to see him.
asserted
Two → allow → him
They said it was the first visit they had had in months.
asserted
they → say → months
“They were both quite disturbed by how agitated he was.
asserted
he → disturb → ?
He’s been mentally tortured with this solitary confinement,” Sulaiman, 29, said.
asserted
Sulaiman → torture → confinement
“His heart rate spikes considerably in his cell.
asserted
rate → spike → cell
He’s having palpitations due to severe anxiety,” said Kasim.
asserted
Kasim → have → anxiety
“He’s the most calm, mentally strong person I’ve ever known by a considerable margin.
asserted
I → ’ → margin
To hear he’s facing anxiety, it’s unfathomable.”
asserted
it → hear → anxiety
Khan’s lawyers reported in February that he had lost 85 percent of the vision in his right eye.
asserted
he → report → eye
“He was still wearing an eye patch when he saw our aunt the other day,” Sulaiman said.
asserted
Sulaiman → wear → aunt
“For 10 months he wasn’t allowed any visitors.
asserted
he → allow → visitors
Apart from that brief visit from his sisters, none of the other orders have been followed.”
asserted
none → follow → orders
Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, in a statement sent to Al Jazeera, rejected the family’s allegations, that Khan has been denied appropriate medical care “or that the government failed to comply with the directions of the Honourable Supreme Court regarding his medical examination”.
asserted
government → send → examination
“Health matters” should not be politicised, the statement continued, adding that the government “has never adopted a disrespectful attitude towards anyone’s health”.
asserted
government → politicise → health
On August 18, a three-judge Supreme Court bench ruled that Khan be moved to the private Shifa International Hospital within two days, that he be granted weekly family visits and twice-weekly calls with his sons, and ordered that his personal physician and sister, both doctors, be allowed to take part in his medical care.
asserted
physician → rule → care
Earlier, a cardiac board review found Khan had fluctuating blood pressure and anxiety, attributed to limited contact with his family.
asserted
Khan → find → family
But he was instead taken to a government hospital, PIMS, for a brief check-up before returning to jail on August 20.
asserted
he → take → August
Khan’s party has since filed a contempt petition.
asserted
party → file → petition
“These government doctors are essentially told what to say,” said Sulaiman.
asserted
Sulaiman → tell → what
“We want him independently checked, so we have proof.
asserted
we → want → proof
What are they hiding?”
asserted
they → hide → What
“The establishment currently has absolute power.
asserted
establishment → have → power
Any efforts by the Supreme Court seem ineffective,” said Kasim.
asserted
Kasim → seem → Court
…and 24 more, not listed.
The Aporia
