“Where is the humanity in not allowing someone to receive basic health checks, basic treatment, (subjecting him to) petty torture techniques, not allowing him to have any books, phone calls with his children, and (confining him to) 23 hours in an isolated cell,” Imran’s son Kasim Khan said in an interview with Al Jazeera.

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Kasim Khan, along with his brother Sulaiman, demanded independent proof of their father’s state of health.

“He is being mentally tortured with this solitary confinement, prolonged isolation,” Sulaiman Khan said. “We want his health to be independently reviewed. So that we have proof that what the govt is saying, which is that his condition is fine, his physical and mental conditions are fine…”

He spoke of a recent incident where Imran was supposed to be taken to Shifa International, a private hospital, for medical evaluation after the Pakistan Supreme Court bench had allowed the same on August 18. However, the authorities took him to a government facility. After a few hours of checkup, he was returned straight to his cell.

Pakistani government, however, has denied any mistreatment of the cricket icon-turned-politician and said it is complying with the Supreme Court. The information and broadcasting ministry said reports of Khan’s ill health were “not supported by prison or medical records”.

“What are they hiding then? We want to see proof that he is okay,” Sulaiman said.

Kasim said Imarn is having heart palpitations. “He is facing kind of severe anxiety, which is an extreme worry for us.” “He is the most calm, relaxed, mentally strong, and tough person I have ever known. And so to hear that he’s facing any sort of anxiety or stress, it’s unfathomable.”

He said they were now “trying to make as much noise as possible… so the world can see how corrupt it (govt) is and their complete lack of respect for the rule of law”.

Imran Khan was ousted from the Prime Minister’s post in 2022. He was arrested in 2023 and sentenced to three years in prison in the Toshakhana corruption case.

According to the BBC, he has faced charges in over 100 cases, ranging from leaking the state’s secrets to selling off state gifts — all of which he has disapproved of, teeming them “politically motivated”.