Khawaja Asif says Imran’s sons can enter Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has rejected claims that Imran Khan’s sons are unable to travel to Pakistan because their National Identity Cards for Overseas Pakistanis (Nicops) have expired.

In a statement on Sunday, Asif said Qasim and Sulaiman Khan could enter Pakistan without visas if they wanted to travel.

The minister said both of their Nicops were still valid. He also shared partially redacted details of the documents to support his claim.

According to the information shared by Asif, Qasim’s Nicop is valid until November 8, 2032, while Sulaiman’s document remains valid until January 6, 2030.

Asif recalled that the two brothers had previously travelled to Pakistan on their Nicops in November 2022. Their visit came after their father, former prime minister Imran Khan, was injured in an assassination attempt.

The defence minister rejected the claim that the government was blocking the brothers from obtaining visas.

He said holders of valid Nicops could travel to Pakistan without obtaining a separate visa. Asif also accused Imran Khan’s family and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of creating a misleading narrative over the issue.

The dispute over the brothers’ travel documents has continued for several months.

Qasim had previously said that he and his brother had applied for Pakistani visas. He later alleged that authorities were deliberately delaying their applications.

Their mother, Jemima Goldsmith, subsequently appealed directly to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to allow her sons to travel to Pakistan.

The government responded that the brothers were welcome to visit the country using their valid Nicops.

Jemima, however, expressed concerns about the proposal. She argued that travelling on Nicops could leave her sons without the protection they would receive as British citizens and raised fears that they could face arrest after arriving in Pakistan.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting also addressed the issue a day before Asif’s statement. It said the brothers could enter Pakistan on their Nicops but clarified that entry into the country would not automatically guarantee permission to visit their father in prison.

Qasim and Sulaiman currently live in London with their mother. Their father is incarcerated at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.

Imran Khan has been in prison since August 2023 following his conviction in the Toshakhana case. He is also serving a 14-year sentence in the £190 million corruption case and was convicted in another Toshakhana case in December 2025.

Several terrorism-related cases linked to the May 9, 2023 violence also remain pending against the former premier.

The issue of family meetings has become a major point of contention between PTI and the government. Imran’s sons, along with his party and family members, have repeatedly raised concerns over restrictions on meetings and telephone contact with him despite court directions concerning such access.