Kasim Khan, the son of former Pakistan Prime Minister and legendary cricket captain Imran Khan, has made a statement at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), urging for the release of his father from prison. Imran Khan has been in jail since 2023 and was sentenced last year, along with his wife, to 17 years on corruption charges they both deny. Kasim alleged that Imran has been held in a solitary confinement cell, one which is “built for death row inmates”.
Kasim’s statement comes after it was reported in recent weeks that Imran had lost a large part of his vision in his right eye during his imprisonment.
“I’m deeply concerned by the alarming rise of intolerance in persecution in Pakistan. We are witnessing a systematic campaign to dehumanize and silence specific segments of the population,” Kasim said in his speech at the UNHRC.
“My father, Imran Khan, has been in prison for nearly 1,000 days. He is the primary target of a regime that treats dissent not as a political disagreement, but as a grave crime to be crushed. I’ve not seen my father in over three years. He is held in a solitary confinement cell – a cell built for death row inmates.
“UN experts have warned the inhumane conditions could amount to torture. This is not neglect – it’s a deliberate persecution designed to strip a human being off his dignity. The intolerance extends beyond him,” Kasim added.
“Pakistan has expanded its blasphemy laws to impose life imprisonment, and branded citizens as terrorists, fostering a climate of hatred. We ask this council and the OHCHR to urge Pakistan to end this persecution immediately. They must comply with UN Working Groups’ opinion, and they must release my father and all political prisoners. Thank you,” he concluded.
In February, following reports of Imran’s condition in prison, a 14-member group comprising Imran’s former teammates and opponents, including Indian cricket legends Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev, had made a formal appeal to the Pakistan government for “fair and humane treatment” of Imran.
For the uninitiated, Imran Khan was Pakistan’s Prime Minister from 2018 to 2022, before being removed in a no-confidence vote during a political crisis over tensions between his government and Pakistan’s powerful military establishment. Prior to his political tenure, Imran was best known for his cricket career, having led Pakistan to the 1992 Cricket World Cup title.