Rawalpindi:
Aleem Khan, Pakistan’s sister Tehreek-E-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, has rejected the statements that the former prime minister prevented his children from visiting Pakistan, clarifying that they could not travel after losing their national identity letters through the foreigner Pakistanis (Nicops).
“Imran Khan did not prevent their children from coming to Pakistan. This is a lie. They already have Nicop cards, but they were lost. Their children have requested new cycleps and visas,” Aleema told journalists out of Adiala La Jail on Saturday.
A day before, in a statement shared in X, Aleema revealed that Sulaiman and Kasim had submitted their visa applications a few days ago. She said the high commission had confirmed the reception of the applications and transmitted that her approval was pending with the Ministry of Interior.
However, the Minister of State for the Interior Talal Chaudhry has asked questions about the state of nationality of the children of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, citing the previous statement of Aleem that children have national identity cards for Pakistani abroad (Nicop).
Responding to its publication in X, Chaudhry said: “You have previously declared that children have Nicops. If that is true, they do not require visas to enter Pakistan. If they need visas, that means that they are not ‘national Pakistani’. What is the real truth behind everything?
Read more: Imran’s Visa’s case takes a new turn
Speaking more about the matter outside the Adiala prison, Aleema added that he had the monitoring number of visa requests, contradicting the statements of the embassy officials that such requests were not made.
“It is surprising that the embassy says that there were no applications. A friend called the ambassador, who said that the permission was necessary from the Ministry of Interior. I told them to get him from Mohsin Naqvi if necessary. Later, they said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must issue the visas. Now the Ambassador does not respond,” he said, adds that in the emergencies of the visas they are generally granted within one hour.
When asked about the appointment of Mishal Yousafzai as a senator, Aleema said: “I don’t want to waste my time arguing those people. My opinion is that justice should have been done. If it were merit, many others in addition to Mishal Yousafzai described.”
On the broader political climate, Aleema transmitted a message from Imran Khan, saying: “First the mandate was stolen, then democracy was undermined. The media have been silenced, and after amendment 26, the Judiciary has been reduced to a state institution without independent authority. The judges now only do what they are told.”
In addition, he criticized the Popular Party (PPP) of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) and the Pakistan peoples party, comparing them with the former League Q, and accused them of continuing “loot and looting.”
When commenting on the safety situation in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, he said that Imran Khan had sent a message through the leader of PTI Ali Amin opposing a planned operation in the province. He added that Khan believes that Pakistan must maintain good relations with Afghanistan as a neighboring country.
Aleem emphasized that the ongoing movement of PTI is not linked to Khan’s children, but to his release. “We are working for the release of our brother. We have been coming to court for two years. If you want to arrest us, they can. The movement will continue until Imran Khan is free.”
Also read: PTI dismisses Imran Khan’s claims, which prohibits children from visiting Pakistan
He concluded criticizing the government for prohibiting the children of Imran Khan from entering Pakistan. “Why does the government not allow their children to come? They must receive visas,” he said.
Earlier this month, Khan’s sister, Aleema Khan, had told the journalists that Sulaiman and Qasim would participate in the protest movement. “First they will go to the United States to raise awareness about the injustices faced by their father and then participate in the movement in Pakistan,” he said.
The reports also suggested that the brothers had held meetings with key people in the United States before their possible arrival in Pakistan.
However, the problem has also extracted government reactions. The prime minister’s political affairs advisor, Rana Sanaullah, warned that Khan’s children, who reside in the United Kingdom with their mother Jemima Goldsmith, would be arrested if they participated in the protest.
