Sulaiman Khan and Kasim Khan, the sons of former Pakistan captain and Prime Minister Imran Khan, have expressed serious concern over their father’s health and the conditions in which he is being held in prison.Speaking to former England captain and Sky Sports commentator Michael Atherton, the brothers alleged that Imran has been kept in prolonged isolation and has not received adequate medical care. They said they fear for his safety as he approaches three years in prison.Kasim claimed that Imran has suffered a major loss of vision in one eye, estimating that he has lost around 80 per cent of his sight in it. He also said Imran was recently seen wearing an eye patch.According to the brothers, Imran spends more than 23 hours a day alone inside a small cell, with restricted access to books and basic comforts. They also alleged that the cell does not have air conditioning despite the summer heat.“They are not even acting with any kind of strategy any more. It is not very clear what they are doing, just blatantly trying to kill him in there. Keep him in as long as possible, and silence him. The last time he was able to speak to our aunties and anyone else, he said the conditions have severely worsened recently. He has been relating it to other political prisoners who have been killed or who have died in prison. Right now, it is worse than ever, completely isolating him more than 23 hours a day in a cell,” Kasim said.
Sons fear for Imran’s health
Kasim said the priority for the family was now ensuring that Imran receives appropriate medical treatment. He described seeing his father with an eye patch and said the former Pakistan captain appeared visibly stressed.“Right now, it’s really crucial for us that he gets proper treatment. He had an eye patch on for the eye situation, seemed visibly stressed, and that is something that is very hard for us to imagine because he embodies a very calm, assured presence, every time I have ever seen him, including being at gunpoint. A car we were in was robbed, and he was the calmest person there, including the robbers,” he added.The brothers also discussed their attempts to travel to Pakistan and visit their father. They claimed their visas had been blocked on technical grounds and said they were willing to accept the possibility of arrest if it gave them an opportunity to see Imran.Sulaiman recalled the family’s reaction after Imran was taken for a medical examination following a court order.“We were cautiously optimistic. Our fears were confirmed when, instead of being taken to the private hospital, where he was meant to be taken, he was just taken to a government medical facility for a few hours, and then taken straight back to jail,” said Sulaiman.He claimed the examination at the government facility lasted only about an hour and that doctors waiting at Shifa Hospital were not given the opportunity to treat Imran.“In reality, it was an hour check-up by government officials who said, ‘Great, he’s OK’, and then said we will now send him to the independent hospital, Shifa. Instead, they left all the doctors waiting, our auntie waiting, who is a doctor, and sent him straight back to jail,” he added.
Interview sparks PCB controversy
The interview, which was aired during the lunch break of the second Test between England and Pakistan at Lord’s on Thursday, also created an unexpected controversy involving the PCB.The board lodged a formal complaint with Sky Sports over the broadcast. Reports further suggested that the PCB considered asking Pakistan’s players not to return to the field after lunch if the interview was shown.The players eventually returned to the field and the Test continued as scheduled.The interview came shortly after renewed international concern over Imran’s medical treatment. He had been taken to a government hospital for a medical examination following a court order relating to his treatment.
Former captains back call for medical care
The concerns surrounding Imran have also drawn an appeal from a group of former international captains, including Indian cricket greats Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev.The former captains wrote to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, urging his government to ensure that Imran receives proper medical treatment and humane conditions while in prison.The appeal was framed as a humanitarian intervention rather than a political statement.Imran remains one of the most prominent figures in Pakistan cricket history. He led the country to its first men’s ODI World Cup title in 1992 before entering politics and eventually becoming Pakistan’s prime minister.
