Imran Khan death rumours buried as sister meets former Pakistan PM in Rawalpindi jail
Confirmation of the leader's well-being came after days of speculation and family fears of 'something irreversible' while PTI protested denied jail access
Ending days of fearful speculation, the well-being of Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan was confirmed on Tuesday (December 2) as his sister Uzma Khanum met him in Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, even as several supporters of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) gathered outside, the country’s Dawn newspaper reported. She later said that her brother was "perfectly fine", the daily report added.
The development, which ended rumours about the veteran leader’s death while being incarcerated, comes on a day when PTI held protests both outside the Adiala Jail and the Islamabad High Court against restrictions on the former premier’s visitation rights.
Also read: Amid Imran Khan death rumours, supporters gear up for mega protest
The PTI claimed that Khan’s family and leaders of the party were not given access to meet him for several weeks, fueling speculation over his health.
Sohail Afridi, chief minister of Pakistan’s Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province and a PTI leader, claimed that no one had been allowed to meet either Khan or his wife, Bushra Bibi, in jail since October 27.
Family expressed concerns
Concerns over the former PM’s health became intense in November after his three sisters claimed that they were assaulted when they wanted to meet him. Khan’s sons also said that the jail authorities were hiding “something irreversible” about their father’s condition.
Also read: Adiala Jail denies Imran Khan's death rumours, says he is healthy
One of his sons, Kashim, told news agency Reuters that there was no direct contact with his father despite the court giving an order for weekly meetings.
Sharif govt fears Khan's popularity, says PTI leader
PTI Senator Khurram Zeeshan ramped up pressure on the Shehbaz Sharif-led government, which showed little interest in revealing details about Khan. The former said the former PM was kept in isolation as a ploy to pressure him to exit Pakistan. He told Asian News International that the Sharif-led government was afraid of Khan’s popularity.
Also read: Former Pak PM Imran Khan, wife Bushra get prison sentence
Khan, who was a cricketer before joining politics and led his country to a World Cup triumph in 1992, has been in jail since 2023, a year after his stint as the prime minister came to an end.
Rumours of the leader’s death were first floated by social media handles from Afghanistan, with which Pakistan shares a rattled relationship at the moment.