By Irum Saleem
Kasim Khan, the elder son of former prime minister and jailed PTI founder Imran Khan, has said that the family has been unable to speak to his father for months, expressing concern over his health and calling on the international community not to ignore what he described as growing authoritarianism in Pakistan.
In a post on X on Thursday, Kasim said it had been around 1,100 days since his father was imprisoned and that neither he nor his brother had heard his voice since March.
It has now been around 1,100 days since my father, Imran Khan, was imprisoned, and my brother and I haven’t heard his voice since March. For months, we’ve been denied contact with him. We remain in the dark about his access to healthcare as his eyesight continues to deteriorate.… pic.twitter.com/6yg3lmYCs5
— Kasim Khan (@Kasim_Khan_1999) July 23, 2026
“For months, we’ve been denied contact with him,” Kasim wrote, adding that the family remained in the dark about Imran Khan’s access to medical care. He said his father’s eyesight was deteriorating and that he urgently required medical attention.
“We don’t even get any second-hand information or reassurance,” he said, alleging that family members and legal representatives had been denied access to the former premier.
Kasim also shared the emotional toll of the prolonged separation, saying he missed discussing ordinary aspects of life with his father.
“I’ve found myself especially missing him recently. I want to speak to him about mundane things like my cricket, books I’ve been reading and what new movies are good,” he wrote.
While acknowledging that PTI supporters wanted Imran Khan released, Kasim said his appeal was also deeply personal. “I miss my father more than ever,” he said.
Expanding his criticism beyond his family’s situation, Kasim alleged that Pakistan was being governed by a “rigged, authoritarian regime” that was suppressing political opposition, weakening democratic institutions and denying citizens the right to freely choose their leaders. He also claimed that people expressing their political beliefs were being intimidated.
Calling for international attention, Kasim urged foreign governments and rights organisations not to remain silent.
“I once again plead to the international community to not look away. Silence in the face of injustice only enables it,” he wrote.
Imran Khan has been in custody since August 2023 and remains incarcerated in Adiala Jail while facing multiple legal cases. PTI has repeatedly alleged that he has been denied adequate access to family members, lawyers and healthcare, claims the authorities have rejected, maintaining that he is being provided facilities in accordance with prison rules.
The latest remarks by Kasim come amid continued political tensions between the PTI and the government over the former prime minister’s imprisonment and demands for his release.
