Price of Defiance

Rumours of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's death in jail have been officially denied by Pakistani authorities and have primarily generated a reaction of intense unrest and demands for transparency among his supporters in Pakistan, with limited official international government response. Imran Khan is currently in jail serving a 14-year sentence on corruption charges related to the Al-Qadir Trust case, a charge he claims is politically motivated.

- BY PRABHU DAYAL

He has been incarcerated since August 2023 and faces numerous other legal cases. The Islamabad High Court (IHC) had directed, on 24 March, 2025, that Imran Khan be allowed biweekly access for meetings with his family, lawyers, and friends. The court had directed that his family and lawyers could visit him on Tuesdays and friends on Thursdays. The Court had issued a subsequent directive on 24 October, 2025, ordering Adiala Jail authorities to fully implement the approved meeting schedule. However, recent reports indicate that despite these clear court orders, Khan's family members, including his sisters and lawyers, have been repeatedly denied access to meet him.

The denial of access is ongoing, with his family and party members staging protests outside the jail. Concerns have been raised by his party (PTI) about his well-being and location, within the jail, due to the lack of access and transparency. Imran Khan's sisters, Aleema Khan, Noreen Niazi and Uzma Khan, have been outspoken critics of the authorities' treatment of Imran Khan. They state they have been denied visits for several weeks, despite court orders, keeping the family in the dark about his condition. They reported being "brutally assaulted" by police while peacefully protesting and demanding to meet him outside Adiala Jail. While they have used strong language about the general treatment, Aleema Khan has also been quoted as saying, "My brother's life is not in danger," and "No one can dare touch my brother," suggesting a belief that public and international attention provides a level of protection, even as access is denied.