Islamabad, July 29, 2025: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday dismissed media reports suggesting that party founder Imran Khan had barred his sons from visiting Pakistan or participating in any campaign for his release.
The reports, which quoted comments allegedly made by the jailed former prime minister during an informal conversation with journalists at Adiala Jail, claimed Imran had told his sons not to visit Pakistan or lead any protest.
Reacting swiftly, PTI Central Information Secretary Waqas Akram termed the reports “completely false.”
“Imran Khan Sahib has absolutely not stopped his children from coming to Pakistan,” Akram said in a statement. “I urge media friends reporting from Adiala Jail to quote Khan Sahib accurately, without distortion or selective interpretation.”
In a follow-up post, Akram added that Imran’s sons – Sulaiman Isa Khan (28) and Kasim Khan (26) – had already decided to come to Pakistan, with only the date yet to be confirmed.
“There should be no confusion. When they chose to come, they made it clear to their father that they were informing him, not asking for permission. This propaganda serves no purpose.”
Earlier this month, Imran’s sister Aleema Khan said the two sons, who are British nationals, would travel to the United States before visiting Pakistan as part of a campaign for their father’s release. The pair had publicly acknowledged Imran’s imprisonment for the first time in May 2025.
The former prime minister has been incarcerated since August 2023, serving a sentence in a £190 million corruption case, while also facing multiple trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act related to the May 9 protests.
Commenting on the matter, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif dismissed it as “just another political drama”, suggesting the objective behind the sons’ potential visit was political, not familial.
“Nothing the PTI founder does is without a political or financial motive,” Asif remarked.
Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry, while stating that Sulaiman and Kasim were welcome in Pakistan, clarified that no legal obstacles existed to their visit, and that visas could be issued in less than 24 hours, provided they comply with Pakistani laws.
However, Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik pointed out that Article 16 of the Constitution, which grants the right to assemble, applies only to Pakistani citizens. As foreign nationals, the two brothers would not be permitted to engage in local political activity, and any violation of visa terms could result in cancellation.
Meanwhile, PML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui struck a more conciliatory tone, saying the sons should be allowed to visit Pakistan and “carry out their activities within the framework of the law.”
