Imran Khan’s son accuses Pakistan of ‘deliberately’ blocking visas to prevent family visit

Kasim Khan says he and his brother want to visit their ailing father in jail but are being denied visas

Imran Khan’s son accused Pakistan of refusing to process visa applications that would enable him and his brother to see their jailed father amid growing concerns about the former prime minister’s health.

In a statement posted on X on Wednesday, Kasim Khan said he and his brother had been trying to travel to Pakistan but were being “denied visas”, despite submitting applications in December and planning to visit in January.

“My father has been held in solitary confinement for 914 days,” he said, adding that his health had deteriorated and he had been denied access to independent medical care.

“Denying a prisoner treatment is cruel,” he said, describing the refusal to allow his children to see him as “collective punishment”.

He urged international human rights organisations and foreign governments to intervene, calling for action “before irreversible harm is done”.

The statement came amid renewed controversy over Khan’s medical condition. The former leader, 72, recently underwent an eye procedure at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad, where doctors confirmed that pressure in eye blood vessels had affected his vision.

His Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party accused authorities of withholding details of his condition for several days.

Kasim Khan and his brother, Suleiman Khan, previously said they feared officials were concealing “something irreversible” about their father’s health after weeks without evidence that he was still alive.

The family has also sought access for Khan’s personal physician, which they say has not been allowed for more than a year.

Access to the former prime minister has remained a point of contention between the government and the former leader’s party.

Information minister Attaullah Tarar has confirmed that a blanket ban on meetings with Khan has been in place since December 2025.

However, officials at the Adiala Jail say Khan is being provided all facilities available to B-class prisoners under the law, including healthcare, tailored meals, exercise, reading materials and daily walks.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party supporters protest to demand the release of their jailed leader Imran Khan in Islamabad (AFP via Getty)

Khan was removed from power in 2022 through a parliamentary no confidence vote which he alleged was orchestrated by the Pakistani military at the best of the US.

He was jailed in August 2023.

Khan has been convicted in a number of cases that he insists are politically motivated. These include a case about the alleged unlawful sale of state gifts, known as the Toshakhana case, a case linked to the leak of a diplomatic cable, and a corruption case involving improper land deals by a charity called Al-Qadir Trust.

Khan and his party maintain the cases are aimed at excluding him from public life and future elections.

The Independent has reached out to Pakistan’s foreign ministry for comment.