Uncertainty Over Imran Khan’s Health After Journalist’s Explosive, Unverified Claim
Islamabad/Adiala — A sensational but unverified claim that former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan may have died in custody surfaced on Tuesday, according to a U.S.-based journalist who said three senior military sources told him “Imran Khan is no longer among us.” The journalist, Wajahat Saeed Khan, clarified during an interview that the sources could…
Islamabad/Adiala — A sensational but unverified claim that former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan may have died in custody surfaced on Tuesday, according to a U.S.-based journalist who said three senior military sources told him “Imran Khan is no longer among us.” The journalist, Wajahat Saeed Khan, clarified during an interview that the sources could not be independently verified and the information came through informal channels. Imran Khan, 73, has been held at Adiala prison since 2023 on multiple cases. His party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has repeatedly alleged that authorities have barred family members from visiting him and have denied him adequate medical care for conditions including an eye ailment. Family members and party officials have raised alarm over his prolonged absence from public view. On Tuesday, Khan’s family and party associates said they were again denied access to the former prime minister, heightening concerns about his health. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister and PTI leader Sohail Afridi warned of a mass response, saying more than two million people could be prepared to take to the streets. Afridi said PTI would not politicize Khan’s health and pledged the party would press for access; PTI has announced a long march toward Islamabad on 27 September and has threatened earlier protests if visits are blocked. There was no immediate official confirmation or denial from authorities about the reported claim that Khan had died in custody. The situation has drawn international attention: a bipartisan group of 13 U.S. lawmakers wrote to the U.S. secretary of state urging him to raise detention conditions for Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi with Pakistani authorities, and a U.N. special rapporteur has previously expressed concern about Khan’s prolonged isolation and health.
