Imran Khan's sons accuse Pakistan army chief Asim Munir of ‘cruelty’ against jailed ex-PM: ‘Trying to slowly kill him’

Imran Khan, former prime minister and Pakistan's World Cup-winning cricket captain, is lodged in Adiala prison in Rawalpindi over corruption charges.

The sons of incarcerated former prime minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, have reportedly accused army chief Asim Munir of a ‘personal vendetta’ as they alleged that their father is being ‘slowly killed’ in jail.

Imran Khan, Pakistan's World Cup winning cricket captain, has been in Adaila Jail over corruption charges. (In picture: Pakistan fans hold a poster of Imran Khan during a cricket match) (Reuters)

His sons, Kasim Khan (27) and Sulaiman Khan (29) have said they are ‘deeply, deeply concerned’ about his health as they alleged that the prison conditions in which Imran has been kept amounted to “a form of mental and physical torture”, The Guardian reported.

“The reality is that he is locked in a tiny 6x8ft cell without human contact. He hasn’t been allowed new books for months and he’s not been allowed to see or speak to his family or a neutral doctor. He has an eye condition which was neglected for months and has meant he’s probably almost lost sight in one eye," Sulaiman was quoted as saying.

Asim Munir's ‘personal grudge’

The Khan brothers have accused that the “cruel” treatment against Imran was being driven by a “personal grudge” by Pakistan's powerful army chief, Asim Munir.

“It’s very clear this is being driven by personal grudge and that’s one of the reasons he’s being treated so harshly, on the orders of Asim Munir,” said Sulaiman was quoted as saying.

Imran's other son, Kasim, alleged that he has been denied diagnosis of an ‘unbiased, neutral’ physician. Pakistan's Supreme Court last month ordered that the former PM should be taken to a private hospital for eye treatment as he is believed to have lost 85% of vision in his right eye because of a prolonged lack of medical attention.

However, he was instead taken to a government hospital, where he was reportedly given several injections and ruled fit to return to prison, triggering outrage from his family and political party-- Tehreek-i-insaaf Pakistan (PTI).

“There’s still been no light shed on our father’s real condition from an unbiased, neutral physician. We believe they’re trying to slowly kill him in there. Just as soon as there’s less pressure, we are sure they will put even harsher restrictions on him and try to finish him off," Kasim was quoted as saying as he alleged, “The one with the real vendetta here is the army chief Asim Munir.”

His sons had raised have been raising concerns over his health and prison conditions, claiming that he is being subjected to prolonged isolation and inadequate medical care. Sulaiman and Kasim spoke to former England captain and Sky Sports commentator Michael Atherton and said that they fear for their father's well-being, questioning the treatment Imran has been receiving while in prison.

The brothers also alleged that Imran spends more than 23 hours a day alone in a small cell and has limited access to books and basic comforts. They said the cell also lacks air conditioning during the summer.

Ouster from power, then jailed

Imran, who was ousted from power in 2022, has remained incarcerated for over three years. Khan was removed from the post of the prime minister after a fall out with the Pakistani military which has considerable influence on the country's politics. Khan and the rest of the PTI leadership were barred from participating in the 2024 general elections.

Khan was ​convicted and sentenced to 14 years in jail in 2025 in a land corruption case where prosecutors said he ⁠and his wife received land as a bribe through the Al-Qadir Trust. In 2024, he was convicted for making public a classified cable sent to ​Islamabad by Pakistan's ambassador in Washington in 2022.

The PTI leader however continues to wield massive support among party members as well as young voters in the country.