Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan is being subjected to “psychological torture” in a “death cell”, according to his sons Kasim Khan and Sulaiman Isa Khan, who fear they might never see their jailed father ever again. In an interview with Sky News, the Khan brothers said they have not seen or spoken to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder, who has been in prison since August 2023, for months.
According to his younger son, Kasim Khan, the Pakistani leader has been kept in a solitary confinement cell for over two years. There, “he’s had filthy water, he is around inmates who are dying of hepatitis, the conditions are disgusting, and also he is completely isolated from any human contact,” Kasim Khan said.
He said his father, who led Pakistan between 2018 and 2022, was being subjected to “psychological torture tactics”, as even the prison guards were not allowed to communicate with him.
“It’s getting harder to see a route out at this point. We’re trying to have faith. But at the same time, right now, the conditions are getting worse… It’s very hard to see a way out… We’re now worried we might never see him again,” Kasim Khan said.
Former Pakistani PM’s elder son, Sulaiman Khan, described his father’s cell, where he allegedly spends 23 hours a day, as a “death cell”.
He said an army spokesperson on Friday announced that Imran Khan was now officially in full isolation. He was being kept in “completely substandard conditions that don’t meet international law for any sort of prisoner,” Sulaiman Khan said.
Growing Concerns Over Imran Khan’s Confinement
Kasim and Sulaiman Isa are Imran Khan’s sons from his first marriage with English TV personality Jemima Goldsmith. The brothers’ words echoed the concerns raised by the PTI founder’s sisters, who have alleged that he is being subjected to mistreatment in Adiala Jail.
Last week, his sister Aleema Khan said the family is not allowed to meet Imran Khan.
“They are torturing him. He has been kept in illegal isolation. They should end this torture against Imran Khan,” she said, sounding an alarm over his treatment and restricted access.
Imran Khan has been imprisoned since August 2023 and faces a series of charges, including corruption and terrorism, following his removal from power through a no-trust motion by the opposition in April 2022.
On Tuesday, the United Nations Special Rapporteur called on the government of Pakistan to take immediate and effective action to address concerns over the “inhumane and undignified” detention conditions of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief, warning that they could amount to torture and other inhuman or degrading treatment.
“I call on Pakistani authorities to ensure that Khan’s conditions of detention fully comply with international norms and standards,” said UN Special Rapporteur on torture, Alice Jill Edwards.
“Since his transfer to Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on 26 September 2023, Imran Khan has reportedly been held for excessive periods in solitary confinement, confined for 23 hours a day in his cell, and with highly restricted access to the outside world. His cell is reportedly under constant camera surveillance,” she added.
