Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan is in good health but largely confined to solitary conditions in prison, his sister Uzma Khan said Tuesday, following her first family visit in weeks.
Uzma Khan’s remarks appear aimed at reassuring Khan’s millions of supporters amid widespread concern over his wellbeing, which at times included rumors questioning whether he was still alive.
The 73-year-old former cricket star has been serving multiple prison sentences since 2023 on corruption and other charges. His wife, Bushra Bibi, is also imprisoned for graft, though the couple is reportedly allowed to meet only during court appearances.
Speaking from Rawalpindi, where Khan is held, Uzma said her brother was “perfectly in good health” but frustrated by his largely solitary confinement. She quoted him as saying the “mental torture” of isolation is “worse than physical abuse.”
Supporters of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party had gathered outside Adiala Prison since early Tuesday, anxiously awaiting news. Authorities deployed hundreds of officers and banned rallies in the area and in Islamabad.
Khan’s spokesperson Zulfiquar Bukhari criticized the limited access, calling it “mental torture,” and demanded that the family and legal team be allowed regular meetings.
Khan, ousted in a no-confidence vote in April 2022, remains a vocal critic of the current government, alleging that the 2024 parliamentary elections were rigged in favor of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, a claim denied by authorities.
He is serving multiple convictions ranging from corruption to revealing state secrets, with concurrent sentences meaning only the longest term is served.