Asked if they had a message for PTI supporters, Kasim asked them to “keep the faith and keep fighting”.
Sulaiman Khan and Kasim Khan, sons of jailed former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, pose for a photograph on the day of an interview with Reuters in London, Britain, February 16, 2026. – REUTERS
Imran Khan’s children have cast doubt on his medical report and say they fear for their father’s deteriorating health in jail as they seek permission to visit the former prime minister and urge authorities to allow access after more than two years apart.
Imran’s lawyer, Advocate Salman Safdar, told the Supreme Court last week that the former prime minister had lost a large amount of vision in his right eye while in custody. A medical board said Monday that the swelling had reduced after treatment and his vision had improved.
talking to Reuters In London, where they live, Khan’s sons, Kasim and Sulaiman, aged 26 and 29, said they were unsure of the medical report. They spoke to their father Thursday for the first time since September.
They said their father usually avoids talking about his health, but during the call he expressed frustration and said he had been denied treatment for his eye for a few months.
“Sometimes it’s hard not to feel depressed because we’ve been away from him for so long,” Kasim said of his father, adding that he should be transferred to a proper medical facility and have access to his private doctors.
Authorities say medical procedures are being carried out and reject opposition accusations of negligence. The Supreme Court has sought details about his treatment.
Imprisoned since August 2023
Imran, 73, has been imprisoned since August 2023 following convictions that he and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party consider politically motivated.
Since his ouster in 2022 via a no-confidence vote, he has faced multiple cases, including state gifts and an illegal marriage. Some sentences have been suspended or overturned and appeals are pending. He denies any wrongdoing.
Kasim and Sulaiman were raised in Britain after Imran’s divorce from his mother, British socialite and filmmaker Jemima Goldsmith. They have not seen their father since November 2022, after he survived an assassination attempt. They said they applied for visas last month but have not yet received a response.
Sulaiman said, when asked why there might be a delay, that authorities might be “worried that if we go to see him we will create more noise” and draw more attention to his situation.
Pakistan’s embassy in London and the Foreign Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Kasim said his immediate concern was his health, but there were other pressing issues, including “his freedom, compliance with the correct human rights processes and also the rule of law and simply ensuring that he is allowed a proper and fair trial”.
The PTI came to power in 2018 and retains a large support base in all provinces.
For four days, PTI supporters have blocked major roads linking Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa with Punjab, stranding thousands of vehicles and affecting fuel and food supplies in some areas.
Asked if they had a message for PTI supporters, Kasim asked them to “keep the faith and keep fighting”, adding: “It’s the same kind of message we are trying to keep.”
