Full story
Unverified death claim
A Pakistani journalist, Wajahat Saeed Khan, said that “three senior military sources told him that Imran Khan is no longer with us” amid persistent uncertainties over the well-being of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan.
“three senior military sources told him that Imran Khan is no longer with us”
The claim was tied to fears within the military and was described as unconfirmed, with Wajahat Saeed Khan later walking back the assertion and saying the information was based on “fears” and “apprehensions”, not news.
Imran Khan, a 73-year-old cricketer-turned-politician, has been lodged in Adiala Jail since 2023, and his party PTI said family members and colleagues complained of being denied access amid concerns over his health.
PTI and its leaders linked the renewed anxiety to a planned showdown, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CM and PTI leader Sohail Afridi claiming that “over two million people were ready to take to the streets” and warning that “the anger among Pakistan’s youth could become impossible to contain.”
PTI demands access
PTI said “continuously emerging alarming reports” about Imran Khan’s health were causing “profound anxiety and restlessness across the entire nation,” and it urged the government to allow access to him.
In a post on X, PTI Central Media Department said Imran Khan had been “effectively been kept in solitary confinement,” where he was “neither being allowed regular meetings with family members nor is the party's political leadership being permitted to meet him”.
PTI spokespersons also demanded proof and access, with Sheikh Waqas Akram saying “floating unverified rumours while keeping him in prolonged isolation is a dangerous and irresponsible game.”
The pressure also played out in Pakistan’s courts, where PTI staged a protest outside Pakistan’s Supreme Court over concerns about Imran Khan’s health and delays in pending cases, and the demonstration was called off after the court registrar assured party leaders that the cases would be fixed for hearing next week.
Detention conditions and stakes
Imran Khan’s detention has been framed by multiple outlets around both his health and his isolation, with the CNBC TV18 report noting that his party claimed authorities prevented him from meeting his family members and that he was not being provided with adequate medical treatment for his eye-related condition.
“including an eye-related condition”
The Express Tribune report also described PTI’s demand for “full transparency” in medical examination and treatment, saying the government must ensure meetings for Imran with his family members, personal physicians, lawyers, and the party’s responsible political leadership.
Outside Pakistan, a bipartisan group of 13 US lawmakers wrote to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging him to raise Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi’s detention conditions directly with Islamabad, citing a UN Special Rapporteur’s concerns over prolonged solitary confinement and allegations about his health.
Imran Khan’s legal situation is tied to the Toshakhana case and later convictions, with India Today saying he has been imprisoned since August 5, 2023, and is currently serving a 14-year sentence in the £190-million Al-Qadir Trust corruption case.