The children of former Prime Minister Imran Khan have appealed international attention to what they describe as the “inhuman” imprisonment of his father, particularly calling the former president of the United States, Donald Trump, who uses his influence to support his release.
In an extensive interview with the British journalist Piers Morgan, the two brothers expressed a deep concern for the deterioration of health and the conditions of his father’s prison, who has been in custody in the Adiala prison since August 2023.
“We urge Pakistan’s leaders to respect democracy, respect the will of the Pakistani people, which was clear despite the massive rig in the February elections, and to give it a fair judgment,” said Sulaiman Khan.
The brothers, who have greatly avoided the center of attention in the past, broke their public silence for the imprisonment of their father in May this year.
The brothers said they were obliged to speak due to the desperate circumstances surrounding their father’s arrest. “We are quite private people … but it is reaching a stage where we are desperate. We want to do what we can,” Kasim said.
Sulaiman and Kasim revealed that they have not seen their father in almost three years and have not spoken to him for more than four months.
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“A Pakistani court demanded weekly phone calls, but sometimes we spend two or three months without contact,” said Sulaiman. “Often, we received a message at 2 am, saying that we would talk to 9 am if we lost that, the possibility of gone, rolled in another two months.”
The brothers said they had not allowed them a single phone call since their last public interview, which suggests that the authorities were using this to “cause him more anguish.”
When describing Khan’s current conditions in jail, the brothers alleged who was confined in a small cell for 22 hours a day with limited access to books, their legal team and even their doctor.
“It is washed with visibly cloudy and discolored water. Hygiene levels are abysmal,” Kasim said. “Ten people have died in that prison due to hepatitis C, which is believed to be extended through unhealthy conditions.”
They also claimed that the authorities had restricted access to the few books that Khan was allowed to read, and said that his physical and mental well -being was increasingly at risk.
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“There have been times when I thought: am I going to see it again?” Kasim said in a low voice. “This is the longest I have spent without talking to him. Fear is very real.”
The brothers said they had explored the possibility of visiting Pakistan to see their father, but were warned by sources within the Pakistani government and their own extended network that would probably be arrested upon arrival.
“We still request visas and we have not received any response,” they said, adding that they were hope to travel to Pakistan when the circumstances allowed.
Sulaiman and Kasim also asked the international community, particularly the president of the United States, Donald Trump, to use their influence to support their father’s release.
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“If someone can make a difference, it’s him,” said Sulaiman. “Trump and my father had a great relationship when they were both in office. They were respected, and we know that it is one of the few people who could get the establishment in Pakistan.”
They also recognized the support of the special presidential envoy of the United States.
“We would love to talk to Trump or find in some way that I can help. At the end of the day, everything we want is to free our father, restore democracy in Pakistan and ensure that their basic human rights are respected,” said Sulaiman.
