Where is Imran Khan? Rumors of his death resurface after…, Adiala Jail admin says…

Imran Khan death: Days after unverified reports claimed that former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had been assassinated inside the Adiala Jail, rumors of his death resurfaced on Friday as Khan’s son, Kasim Khan, demanded proof of life from the Pakistani government, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi was again denied a meeting with the PTI founder on Thursday night.

Why Kasim Khan demanded proof of life?

Taking to X, Kasim Khan, said his father, Imran Khan, has been in jail for the past 845 days, and claimed that the former premier has been kept in a solitary “death cell” for the past one and a half months, while being denied any contact with family and acquaintances.

“For the past six weeks, he has been kept alone in a death cell in an environment of complete isolation. His sisters have been barred from every meeting, despite clear court orders. No phone calls, no meetings, and no news of his well-being. My brother and I have not been able to contact our father in any way,” he wrote.

The jailed ex-PM’s son alleged that the “complete darkness is not part of any security protocol”, and termed it a deliberate effort to conceal his father’s condition and prevent his family from knowing about his whereabouts.

“Let it be clear that the Pakistani government and its masters will bear full legal, moral, and international responsibility for my father’s safety and every consequence of this inhumane isolation,” Kasim said, while urging the global community and human rights organisations to intervene.

Imran Khan jailed for ‘political reasons’

Kasim Khan demanded proof of life from the Pakistani authorities, and access to his father accordance with court order. He also called for an end to the “inhumane isolation” of Imran Khan, and the “release of Pakistan’s most popular political leader, who he claimed has been imprisoned “solely for political reasons.”

Kasim Khan’s comments came days after viral social media reports claimed that Imran Khan had been murdered inside the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. Earlier, Imran Khan’s sister, Aleema Khanum had also claimed that they had not been allowed to meet the jailed ex-premier despite multiple requests.

What did Adiala Jail authorities say?

Meanwhile, Adiala Jail authorities refuted the rumors of Imran Khan’s death as “baseless”, asserting that the former Prime Minister is in “completely good health” inside the high-security jail.

“The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership has been informed regarding Imran Khan’s health. All necessary care is being provided to the PTI chief,” the Adiala Jail administration said in a statement on Thursday, also rejected reports about the 73-year-old being shifted from the Rawalpindi jail.

“Imran Khan is in Adiala Jail and is healthy. The social media rumours about his transfer are unfounded,” it said.

What happened to Imran Khan in Adiala Jail?

On Wednesday, unverified reports triggered a political firestorm by claiming that Imran Khan had been “assassinated” inside the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, where he has been incarcerated since August 2023.

The rumors stemmed from reports, that cited “sources” to claim that the former Pakistani premier has been killed. Several posts, including one from an X handle claiming to represent the “Ministry of Foreign Affairs Baluchistan”, carried a purported image showing Khan lying motionless on a stretcher.

However, independent fact-checkers noted that the image of Imran Khan being circulated on social media handles is from November 2022, when the jailed ex-PM had indeed survived an assassination attempt.

Imran Khan, 73, who served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan from August 2018 to April 2022, has been incarcerated at the Adiala Jail since August 2023.

Sohail Afridi denied meeting with Khan, stages sit-in

Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi staged an overnight sit-in outside Adiala jail after being denied a meeting with PTI founder Imran Khan for the eighth consecutive time.

According to a report by Dawn,  the protest began on Thursday afternoon and included members of the KP cabinet, with visuals shared by the PTI showing Afridi and party workers offering Fajr prayers outside the prison on Friday morning.

Afridi announced on the party’s livestream that the sit-in was being wrapped up and that he would now approach the Islamabad High Court (IHC). “We will now go to the IHC to meet the chief justice,” he said, wrapped in a beige shawl amid cold weather.

The PTI leader said three IHC judges had ordered the meeting and directed the Adiala jail superintendent to arrange it.  Referring to previous court directives, the KP CM said, “Previous orders were very clear that Khan sahib would be allowed to meet his family and lawyers on Tuesdays and party leadership on Thursdays.”

(With inputs from agencies)