

5 min readUpdated: Aug 6, 2026 07:18 PM IST
Imprisoned former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s sons have expressed fears over their father’s health, saying they have been unable to meet him for months, as thousands of supporters staged protests across Pakistan on Wednesday to mark the third anniversary of his arrest and Amnesty International renewed calls for his family and lawyers to be granted access to him.
Khan, who served as Pakistan’s prime minister from 2018 until his ouster in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in 2022, has remained behind bars since August 5, 2023. He faces multiple convictions, including on corruption and state secrets charges, which he and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party say are politically motivated. The Shehbaz Sharif-led government has rejected those allegations.
Sons say they have no updates on Khan’s condition
Speaking to CNN from London, Khan’s sons, Kasim and Sulaiman, said they had received no information about their father’s condition because family members, lawyers and doctors had allegedly been denied access to him for months.
“We have no updates because his family, doctors and lawyers haven’t been allowed to see him for seven months,” they said, expressing concern over his health and questioning why they had been unable to travel to Pakistan to meet him.
The brothers said they had repeatedly tried to visit Pakistan but claimed their efforts had been hindered by administrative hurdles. While Pakistan’s Ministry of Information said both brothers hold National Identity Cards for Overseas Pakistanis and therefore do not require visas to enter the country, Kasim and Sulaiman maintained that their identity cards had expired and had not been renewed.
Kasim also voiced concern over the lack of recent medical updates on his father.
“They’re refusing to show us any kind of health report. So his health may have deteriorated significantly since then,” he said.
“We’ve had no updates. We’re more in the dark recently than we’ve ever been.” Imran Khan’s sons speak to @BeckyCNN of @CNN. #FreeImranKhan pic.twitter.com/lEiPyGCPSk
— وارث خاکیⁱᴾⁱᵃⁿ ᴵᴺǪᴵᴸᴬᴮᴵ (@WarisKhakii) August 6, 2026
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Pakistan rejects allegations
Pakistan’s government rejected the allegations, saying Khan had not been subjected to prolonged isolation and continued to receive medical care, legal access and family contact in accordance with prison rules.
In a statement shared with CNN, the government said Khan’s latest telephone conversation with one of his sons took place on March 21, 2026, arguing that access to him had not been abolished but regulated under prison rules and court directions.
The government also described Khan’s accommodation as an “exclusive seven-cell compound” equipped with living facilities, sanitation and exercise equipment, insisting that the conditions did not match claims of neglect or punitive isolation. Officials further said Khan’s health remained “oriented and stable” and that he continued to receive treatment and follow-up care.
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World · Pakistan · Explainer
Why is Imran Khan back in the headlines?
Pakistan’s jailed former PM has just completed three years in Adiala Jail. His sons say they fear for his health and have been denied access — Islamabad rejects that account, while Amnesty International and PTI have both stepped up pressure this week.
.3 years in jail · nationwide PTI protests, Aug 5–6
Imran Khan at a glance
Former role
PM of Pakistan (2018–22)
In jail since
Aug 5, 2023
Time behind bars
3 years
Party
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)
Held at
Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi
Latest
Sons raise health concerns as protests spread across Pakistan; PTI threatens a march on Islamabad on Sept 27
Khan is serving a sentence in a corruption case and faces separate pending trials linked to the May 9, 2023 protests. This is a developing story with competing official and family/rights-group accounts.
The standoff: sons vs. government
His sons say
- No family, doctor or lawyer access for about 7 months
- They fear for his health and say Islamabad is delaying their visas to block a visit
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Pakistan says
- Rejects the “blackout” claim; cites a call with his son on March 21, 2026 as evidence of access
- Says his condition is “oriented and stable,” with no unmanaged deterioration
- Says access is “regulated” under prison rules, court orders and security protocol for a high-profile prisoner — not denied
Two accounts, one prisoner — and no independent verification of either.
Claims from both sides are as stated to CNN and other outlets this week; neither has been independently verified.
What Amnesty International says
Amnesty says
- Khan has been held in prolonged solitary confinement, which it calls unlawful
- No family visit in 8+ months; no meaningful lawyer access since December 2025
- His eyesight has reportedly deteriorated significantly
- Calls for family/legal access and medical care to be restored “unconditionally”
How we got here
May 2023
First arrested; sparks nationwide protests
Aug 5, 2023
Jailed again; remains in custody since
Dec 2025
Amnesty says regular legal-counsel access ends for Khan and wife Bushra Bibi
Mar 21, 2026
Govt-cited call with son — the most recent contact it points to
Aug 5, 2026
Third anniversary of jailing; nationwide PTI rallies, Amnesty statement
What PTI is doing next
PTI says
- Held nationwide protest rallies on Aug 5–6 marking three years in jail
- Demands: fair, timely hearings in cases against Khan and Bushra Bibi; restored access to his family, lawyers, doctors and party leaders
- Warns of a long march on Islamabad on Sept 27 if these demands aren’t met
.Watch the courts — whether pending cases against Khan get expedited hearings.
.Watch for a family visit — any visa clearance or confirmed meeting would be the clearest signal on access.
.Watch Sept 27 — PTI’s stated deadline for a march on Islamabad.
This is a fast-moving story; dates, figures and official statements may be updated as reporting develops. Not a verified account of Khan’s medical condition.
Sources: CNN · Al Jazeera · Amnesty International · The Express Tribune · Daily Times (Aug 4–6, 2026). A developing story; confirm latest details before use.
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Amnesty calls for family access
Amnesty International this week urged Pakistani authorities to immediately restore Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi’s right to meet their family members and lawyers.
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The human rights organisation said both should be given adequate medical care and called for an end to what it described as their prolonged solitary confinement.
PTI stages nationwide protests
The remarks by Khan’s sons came as PTI supporters held rallies across Pakistan to demand the former prime minister’s release.
Police arrested more than 100 PTI workers during demonstrations in Punjab and Sindh provinces, while the party organised its largest gathering in Peshawar, where it currently governs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Video footage circulating on social media showed clashes between protesters and police in several cities, including Lahore.
Addressing supporters in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Suhail Afridi warned that PTI workers would march towards Islamabad on September 27 if Khan and his wife were not granted relief through the courts.
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Afridi said the party’s immediate demands were that cases against Khan and Bushra Bibi be heard on merit and that authorities restore their access to lawyers, doctors, relatives and party leaders. He claimed Khan could be released “within 30 minutes” if justice was delivered.
PTI leaders also alleged that Khan had been denied proper medical treatment and regular meetings with his family, while his sister Aleema Khan said the campaign for his release had already entered a new phase. The Pakistani government has consistently denied allegations that Khan is being mistreated in custody.
The latest demonstrations underscore that Khan continues to command significant public support despite spending three years in prison, with his party vowing to intensify peaceful protests if its demands are not met.
(With inputs from agencies)
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