Ex-Pakistani PM's health confirmed "good" as sister breaks silence after jail visit

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding chairman Imran Khan is in good health, his sister Uzma Khan said after meeting him at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, putting an end to weeks of speculation surrounding the former prime minister’s condition.

Speaking to journalists outside the facility, Uzma said, "I will provide in-depth updates after consultations with my sisters [Aleema Khan and Noreen Khan]." The meeting was permitted shortly after authorities granted her access, following persistent concerns raised by PTI leaders and Khan’s family, who had repeatedly been denied visits despite court orders, Geo News reports.

PTI had earlier threatened to stage a protest outside the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and march toward the jail if access continued to be blocked. Government officials defended the restrictions, saying meetings were barred under jail rules to ensure the security of Khan and other inmates, and alleging that political discussions took place during previous visits.

After meeting Khan, Uzma reiterated that he was in good health but had been barred from meeting anyone for four weeks. She also claimed that Bushra Bibi was being “kept in solitary confinement.” Uzma added that Hamid Khan and Salman Akram Raja would finalize bar council election candidates, and that notifications for Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Allama Raja Nasir as opposition leaders in the National Assembly and Senate should be issued. She further stated that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi had Khan’s full support, alleging that “the entire Constitution and law are applied only to PTI.”

Aleema Khan said the family’s stance was that six relatives should be allowed to meet Khan every Tuesday and six PTI leaders every Thursday, noting that such court orders were “already in place.” She criticised heavy security deployment, claiming police had even “left dirty water on the road” and that authorities seemed “fearful of a family visit.”

Khan’s sons have also voiced alarm over the lack of verified information about his condition for more than three weeks, with Kasim Khan telling reporters that the family had been denied weekly meetings, fuelling fears of a possible transfer or worsening health.

Security around Adiala Jail has been tightened, with additional checkpoints and over 700 officers deployed. Authorities in Islamabad and Rawalpindi have enforced Section 144, warning that protests, rallies, and unlawful gatherings will face immediate action.

By Vafa Guliyeva