Kasim Khan alleges visa block over Imran

Kasim Khan, the son of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, has alleged that Pakistani authorities prevented him and his brother Sulaiman from travelling to Pakistan on visas and instead encouraged them to enter the country using their National Identity Cards for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOPs).

Speaking in an interview with CBC News, Kasim claimed that travelling on NICOPs could expose the brothers to arrest and detention. He alleged that the authorities wanted to use the situation as leverage against their father.

Kasim said he and Sulaiman wanted to visit Pakistan as British citizens and believed travelling on visas would provide them with greater protection. He said a visa could potentially allow British authorities to intervene if the brothers were arrested.

He stressed that his primary motivation was humanitarian and that he did not want his efforts to be viewed as political. “I want to see my dad basically,” he said.

Kasim also appealed to the British government to treat his request as a humanitarian matter. He argued that raising concerns about his father’s imprisonment should not necessarily be considered political support.

According to Kasim, he last spoke to Imran Khan in March. He said the conversation was recorded and that he and his brother had listened to it several times. He described his father as being more frustrated than during previous calls and said Imran had complained about the treatment of his eye.

Kasim claimed that Imran’s communication with people outside prison had been limited, with most contact taking place through his lawyers. He alleged that legal video calls were being counted as prison visits.

He also disputed government claims regarding the number of telephone calls and visits Imran had received. Kasim said the family had not been provided with sufficient medical information about his father’s current condition.

Kasim said he had been seeking international attention over Imran’s situation and had appealed to the British and Canadian governments, as well as other international institutions.

He referred to statements and assessments by international organisations regarding Imran’s detention, while alleging that his father’s legal and prison conditions required greater international scrutiny.

The former prime minister’s son also discussed the possibility of a political deal that could allow Imran to leave Pakistan and stay away from politics. Kasim said he would personally prefer such an arrangement because he wanted his father to be safe, but acknowledged that he did not know enough about his father’s current circumstances to predict what decision he would make.

Kasim described Imran as a strong-willed person and said his father was also concerned about other political prisoners and members of the family.

He further alleged that PTI leaders had faced imprisonment and pressure as part of efforts to weaken the party. Kasim called for international attention to the situation of political prisoners in Pakistan.