Kasim Khan, the son of former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan, has raised concerns over his father’s detention at the UN Human Rights Council, alleging that his father is being mistreated in prison by authorities.
Speaking in Geneva, Kasim Khan said the treatment of his father, jailed since 2023 over corruption charges, was reflective of a broader pattern of political repression in Pakistan, evident since his removal from office in 2022.
Imran Khan is serving a 14-year sentence in an alleged corruption case over state gifts and is being held at Adiala Jail.
Calling the detention “arbitrary”, Kasim claimed it was in direct violation of international law, including the frameworks of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention against Torture, claiming he was being kept in solitary confinement, denied access to family members, legal counsel, as well as facing negligence in medical care.
“My father’s case is not an isolated incident. It is the most visible example of a much wider pattern of repression,” he told the council, pointing to the detention of political opponents, military trials of civilians, and the mass political pressure being faced by journalists in the country, reiterating claims that the February 2024 general elections were rigged.
“My brother and I are not political people… but my father’s life demands that we take action,” he said, adding “We cannot stand by as his health deteriorates and he is kept away from us.” He further alleged that his visa processing was being delayed on purpose by authorities, amounted to “collective punishment”.
Concerns over Khan’s health have intensified amid reports that he has lost up to 85% of vision in one eye due to central retinal vein occlusion. He has undergone a series of treatments, including anti-VEGF injections at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, with doctors later describing his condition as stable.
Family members and physicians have called for his transfer to a private facility, and for independent medical access. The government has rejected the allegations, maintaining that due process is being followed and that Khan is receiving appropriate care.
