In a rare movement that raised the veil in the silence of his family, the children of former Prime Minister Imran Khan have spoken publicly about the prolonged imprisonment of his father, asking international pressure on Pakistan to ensure his release.
This marked the first time that the two children, Suleman Khan and Qasim Khan publicly approached their father’s imprisonment. Although a court allowed them in November 2023 to contact him weekly, they affirmed that these calls have been sporadic and difficult to ensure.
In an interview with the influencer of X Mario Nawfal, the brothers threw light on why they had broken their silence.
“We have gone through the legal routes. We have followed all the routes that we think would potentially take it out. We never thought that there would be a fraction of how long it has been there. And it is only getting worse. And, therefore, we have run out of those options. And now we have decided that the only route of taking measures is to come and speak publicly,” Qasim said.
He added: “What we want is the international pressure on Pakistan at this time, because he is currently living in inhuman conditions. They are not giving him basic human rights … They are not really doing close enough. And what we want is global pressure.”
Speaking about the dead end through legal channels, Suleman said: “We have exhausted other options [and] legal avenues and have become very calm. It seems that, in international media, it seems to have left very quiet. “
When asked about the calls of American official Richard Grenelll for the release of Imran, Suleman said they had not made any direct contact with him, but appreciated “all the support he has shown.”
Responding to whether they had a message for Trump’s camp, Suleman said: “We would call any government that supports freedom of expression and appropriate democracy to join the call to our father’s liberation.”
Qasim echoed the feeling: “Look what is happening and, hopefully, take measures and who is better than Trump to get attention. We would love to talk to Trump or try to find a way in which he can help in some way. Because, at the end of the day, everything we are trying to do is free our father, bring democracy in Pakistan and only guarantee their basic human rights.”
