What did Imran Khan's sons say in Sky Sports interview
What's the story
Sulaiman and Kasim Khan, the sons of former Pakistan cricket captain and Prime Minister Imran Khan, have raised serious concerns over their father's health and prison conditions. In an interview with Michael Atherton, a former England captain and Sky Sports commentator, they claimed Imran is being held in solitary confinement for up to 23 hours without proper medical attention. They said they have been trying to visit Pakistan but the authorities are refusing to give them visas over "technical grounds."
Health concerns
'They are just blatantly trying to kill him'
Kasim revealed that his father has lost a significant amount of vision in one eye, around 80%, claiming he was recently spotted wearing an eye patch.
"They are not even acting with any kind of strategy any more. It is not very clear what they are doing, just blatantly trying to kill him...Keep him in as long as possible, and silence him.....Right now, it is worse than ever, completely isolating him more than 23 hours a day," Kasim said.
Treatment concerns
'Right now, it's really crucial for us'
Kasim said their main priority right now is to make sure Imran gets proper medical treatment.
He described seeing his father, whom he called the "calmest person," looking visibly stressed out.
"He...seemed visibly stressed, and that is something that is very hard for us to imagine because he embodies very calm, assured presence, every time I have ever seen him, including being at gunpoint. A car we were in was robbed, and he was the calmest person there," he added.
Medical examination
We were cautiously optimistic, says Sulaiman
Sulaiman recalled the family's reaction when Imran was taken for a medical examination after a court order.
"We were cautiously optimistic," he said, adding that their fears were confirmed when he was taken to a government medical facility instead of the private hospital where he was supposed to go.
He claimed that doctors waiting at Shifa Hospital weren't allowed to treat Imran and that it was just an hour-long check-up by government officials who said, "Great, he's OK."
Claims
'They left all the doctors waiting'
"It was an hour check-up by government officials who said, 'Great, he's OK', and then said we will now send him to the independent hospital, Shifa. Instead, they left all the doctors waiting, our auntie waiting, who is a doctor, and sent him straight back to jail," he said.
The Supreme Court had ordered his transfer to Shifa International Hospital for a check-up.
But Pakistani authorities claimed security issues led to the examination being conducted at PIMS instead.
PCB complaint
PCB lodges complaint with Sky Sports
The interview, which aired during the lunch break of the second Test between England and Pakistan at Lord's on Thursday, sparked an unexpected controversy involving the PCB.
The board lodged a formal complaint with Sky Sports over the broadcast.
Reports suggested that the PCB considered asking Pakistan's players not to return to the field after lunch if this interview was shown. However, they eventually returned to the field and continued with their match as scheduled.
Global appeal
Former Indian cricketers join humanitarian appeal on Imran's behalf
The concerns surrounding Imran have also drawn an appeal from a group of former international captains, including Indian cricket greats Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev.
The former captains wrote to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, urging his government to ensure that Imran receives proper medical treatment and humane conditions while in prison.
The appeal was framed as a humanitarian intervention rather than a political statement.