Islamabad [Pakistan], November 28 : Rana Sanaullah, adviser to the Pakistan Prime Minister on Political Affairs, and senior PTI figures have rejected speculation surrounding Imran Khan's health, telling Dawn that the former PM was "fine and nothing is wrong with him".
However, PTI renewed its request for a meeting with the jailed party founder, saying the leadership was increasingly concerned as he had been denied access to both family members and legal counsel for more than three weeks. Imran has been incarcerated since August 2023, serving a 14-year sentence in a corruption case.
Family members and party workers have staged demonstrations outside Adiala Jail in recent days, demanding permission to see him. A PTI delegation visited the prison again today, but authorities once more declined access.
Speculation intensified on social media after reports suggested the 73-year-old could be shifted to a high-security facility, a move that would further restrict interaction. The topic gained significant traction online, with "Where is Imran Khan?" trending on X. The interior ministry did not issue a response.
Speaking on ARY News, the prime minister's adviser said concerns about Imran's condition were misplaced. "This is absolutely wrong. His health is fine and taken care of. There is a team of doctors that checks him on a weekly and daily basis [and looks after his] medicine, diet, facilities [and] exercises."
He added that Imran continued to receive all facilities appropriate to his position and denied rumours of any transfer, saying the former premier remained in Adiala Jail. He further noted that the court would need to be informed before any such move.
PTI Senator Ali Zafar echoed this view during an appearance on a DawnNewsTV programme, dismissing the claims. "Thank God, the news is baseless, but it is even more important after this report that the government immediately allow us the opportunity of a meeting so we can go and see for ourselves," he said.
He added that only after meeting Imran could the party assure everyone that he was well. Zafar told Dawn the party had also raised the issue in the Senate and urged Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhary to facilitate a meeting. "We think it is very necessary that a meeting is facilitated with Imran; it's been a month," he said.
PTI Central Information Secretary Waqas Akram told Dawn that certain misleading narratives circulating about Imran had been dismissed and insisted "the government cannot harm Imran Khan."
During an appearance on Geo News, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhary said jail authorities had already shared information about Imran's condition in response to the speculation. "These reports are completely false, and they should not be trusted. These are deliberately spread ... this is wrong; his health is completely fine, and he is well."
PTI leaders had previously expressed concern about Imran's age and the conditions under which he was being held.
Imran's younger son, Kasim Khan, noted in earlier posts that his father was being kept in "really poor conditions" that were "getting worse by the moment."
In a post on X, he reiterated those concerns, saying, "For the past six weeks, he (Imran) has been kept in solitary confinement in a death cell with zero transparency. His sisters have been denied every visit, even with clear court orders allowing access. There have been no phone calls, no meetings and no proof of life. Me and my brother have had no contact with our father."
Kasim said "this absolute blackout" was not a matter of security procedure but a "deliberate attempt" to conceal his father's condition and prevent the family from knowing whether he was safe.
He appealed for outside intervention, writing, "I call on the international community, global human rights organisations and every democratic voice to intervene urgently. Demand proof of life, enforce court-ordered access, end this inhumane isolation and call for the release of Pakistan's most popular political leader, who is being held solely for political reasons."
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