Former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan’s sons have appealed to US President Donald Trump and the international community to help secure their father’s release from prison. Khan, who has been behind bars since August 2023, faces a slew of legal cases, including a conviction in a £190 million corruption case and several charges under Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorism Act.
Imran Khan served as the chief of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief and also as Pakistan’s prime minister between 2018 and 2022 before being removed from office.
Imran Khan’s Tehreek -e-Insaf party continues to press for Khan’s release through legal and political channels, his sons have now taken their plea global. In an interview with X influencer and citizen journalist Mario Nawfal, Khan’s sons, Kasim Khan (26) and Sulaiman Khan (28), described their father’s conditions in prison. “Anyone who looks into it a little can kind of see that,” Sulaiman said, referring to the cases against his father.
Khan, who has been behind bars since August 2023, faces a slew of legal cases, including a conviction in a £190 million corruption case and several charges under Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorism Act.
“In terms of a message to the Trump administration, we would call for any government that supports free speech and proper democracy to join the call for our father’s release—and especially the most powerful leader in the world,” they said. Their interview is being widely circulated on social media channels.
“We would love to speak to President Trump or try and figure out a way where he would be able to help out. Because at the end of the day, all we are trying to do is free our father, and ensure his basic human rights.”
The interview comes amid tensions between Tehreek -e-Insaf party and the government following the February 2024 general elections, which Khan’s party claims were rigged after losing the elections.
Authorities have rejected the allegations and instead blamed PTI for inciting violence. Officials say PTI-backed mobs attacked military installations in May 2023, while in November 2024, four security personnel were killed during a protest demanding Khan’s release. PTI has denied responsibility, claiming the violence was either provoked or falsely attributed to them.
The interview with Nawfal also touched on the brothers’ personal experiences. They described their limited and sporadic contact with Imran Khan, as he has has no “access to the outside world, no access to doctors, and has been in prolonged solitary confinement,” according to his elder son said. “Court mandates we speak to him once every week, but we speak to him once in two or three months,” he continues.
Despite their high-profile lineage, both sons have remained out of Pakistani politics. The brothers said they had taken their father’s permission before speaking publicly and expressed no interest in entering politics themselves.