‘No updates’: Imran Khan’s sons raise health fears as his party protests in Pakistan

Sons say they have no updates on Khan’s condition

Speaking to CNN from London, Khan’s sons, Kasim and Sulaiman, said they had received no information about their father’s condition because family members, lawyers and doctors had allegedly been denied access to him for months.

“We have no updates because his family, doctors and lawyers haven’t been allowed to see him for seven months,” they said, expressing concern over his health and questioning why they had been unable to travel to Pakistan to meet him.

The brothers said they had repeatedly tried to visit Pakistan but claimed their efforts had been hindered by administrative hurdles. While Pakistan’s Ministry of Information said both brothers hold National Identity Cards for Overseas Pakistanis and therefore do not require visas to enter the country, Kasim and Sulaiman maintained that their identity cards had expired and had not been renewed.

Kasim also voiced concern over the lack of recent medical updates on his father.

“They’re refusing to show us any kind of health report. So his health may have deteriorated significantly since then,” he said.

“We’ve had no updates. We’re more in the dark recently than we’ve ever been.” Imran Khan’s sons speak to @BeckyCNN of @CNN. #FreeImranKhan pic.twitter.com/lEiPyGCPSk

— وارث خاکیⁱᴾⁱᵃⁿ ᴵᴺǪᴵᴸᴬᴮᴵ (@WarisKhakii) August 6, 2026

Pakistan rejects allegations

Pakistan’s government rejected the allegations, saying Khan had not been subjected to prolonged isolation and continued to receive medical care, legal access and family contact in accordance with prison rules.

In a statement shared with CNN, the government said Khan’s latest telephone conversation with one of his sons took place on March 21, 2026, arguing that access to him had not been abolished but regulated under prison rules and court directions.

The government also described Khan’s accommodation as an “exclusive seven-cell compound” equipped with living facilities, sanitation and exercise equipment, insisting that the conditions did not match claims of neglect or punitive isolation. Officials further said Khan’s health remained “oriented and stable” and that he continued to receive treatment and follow-up care.

Amnesty calls for family access

Amnesty International this week urged Pakistani authorities to immediately restore Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi’s right to meet their family members and lawyers.

The human rights organisation said both should be given adequate medical care and called for an end to what it described as their prolonged solitary confinement.

PTI stages nationwide protests

The remarks by Khan’s sons came as PTI supporters held rallies across Pakistan to demand the former prime minister’s release.

Police arrested more than 100 PTI workers during demonstrations in Punjab and Sindh provinces, while the party organised its largest gathering in Peshawar, where it currently governs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Video footage circulating on social media showed clashes between protesters and police in several cities, including Lahore.

Addressing supporters in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Suhail Afridi warned that PTI workers would march towards Islamabad on September 27 if Khan and his wife were not granted relief through the courts.

Afridi said the party’s immediate demands were that cases against Khan and Bushra Bibi be heard on merit and that authorities restore their access to lawyers, doctors, relatives and party leaders. He claimed Khan could be released “within 30 minutes” if justice was delivered.

PTI leaders also alleged that Khan had been denied proper medical treatment and regular meetings with his family, while his sister Aleema Khan said the campaign for his release had already entered a new phase. The Pakistani government has consistently denied allegations that Khan is being mistreated in custody.

The latest demonstrations underscore that Khan continues to command significant public support despite spending three years in prison, with his party vowing to intensify peaceful protests if its demands are not met.

(With inputs from agencies)