The situation comes amid growing concerns regarding Imran Khan’s health, as his sisters have recently been denied multiple attempts to meet with him, prompting them to question his whereabouts. This has led to protests and sit-ins outside the Adiala Jail. Additionally, several social media accounts on platform X have circulated unverified claims about his death, with reports from Indian media adding to the confusion surrounding his condition. The trend ‘Where is Imran Khan?’ gained significant traction on X Thursday morning.
In response to these rumours, PTI issued a statement early Thursday on X, condemning the spread of “despicable rumours” from “Afghan and Indian media, and foreign social media accounts” regarding Imran’s health.
PTI demanded that the government, specifically the interior ministry, address and dismiss these rumours immediately. The party also called for the immediate arrangement of a meeting between Imran and his family. They urged the government to issue an official and transparent statement on Imran’s health, security, and current status.
The party also insisted that those responsible for spreading such sensitive rumours be investigated, with the truth presented to the public. PTI emphasized that the nation would not tolerate any uncertainty regarding the leader’s status.
The party further asserted that the government was responsible for ensuring Imran’s safety, human rights, and constitutional rights. PTI vowed to take all necessary legal and political actions to combat these rumours and reveal the truth.
Meanwhile, PTI leader Meher Bano Qureshi, daughter of former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, expressed concern on X about the ongoing rumours surrounding Imran’s health. She stated that the government was obligated to provide clarity on Imran’s safety and well-being. She suggested that the best way to end these rumours would be to allow Imran’s family, lawyers, and party members to meet with him.
Afghan-Origin Rumour Debunked
Separately, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MOIB) debunked false claims originating from Afghan and Indian social media accounts that Imran Khan had been killed in jail.
The ministry clarified that unverified rumours were circulating from anonymous Afghan accounts, falsely claiming that Imran had died in custody and that his body had been moved. Indian media outlets then repeated these baseless claims, using outdated photos from 2013 and 2022 as supposed “evidence.”
The official fact-checking cell revealed that the images used to support these rumours were from years earlier, one showing Imran’s fall from a forklift stage during an election rally in 2013, and another from an assassination attempt in 2022. Both images were repurposed to mislead the public.
The fact-checking account further clarified that these posts were timed closely together, suggesting a coordinated effort to spread misinformation. They noted that Afghan and Indian media outlets were amplifying these claims without confirmation from any official sources, hospitals, or government agencies. Despite PTI representatives denying the rumour, Indian media continued to broadcast it as a developing story.
Imran’s Jail Conditions
In response to the allegations about Imran’s treatment in prison, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif addressed a video posted on X in which Imran criticized former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s demands for amenities while in jail.
Asif, recalling his own prison experience, contrasted it with the conditions Imran is allegedly enjoying. He claimed that Imran had a television in his jail cell and food brought in from outside, while he himself had endured much harsher conditions, such as sleeping on the cold floor and limited blankets.
Asif further alleged that Imran had a double bed and velvet bedding, and that the jail superintendent personally attended to his needs. Asif called on Imran to “listen to his own speech on the jail’s loudspeaker” and urged him to “fear God.”
Imran Khan, who has been incarcerated since August 2023, is currently serving a sentence in the Adiala Jail for a £190 million corruption case and is facing pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act in connection with the May 9, 2023, protests.
