Imran Khan allowed first call with sons in six months
- World
- May 5, 2025
Imran Khan will be allowed to speak to his sons from prison for the first time in nearly six months, a Pakistani court has ruled.
On Tuesday, the court ordered that the jailed former prime minister of Pakistan must be permitted weekly phone contact with his sons Suleman, 28, and Qasim, 26, who both live in London.
The first call is scheduled to take place on Saturday, but doubts have been raised over whether prison authorities will obey the court order.
Khan, 72, was twice granted permission to speak to his sons by the same court in January, but no contact took place.
This time, judges have instructed authorities at the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, where the former cricketer is held, to submit proof that they have complied with the ruling by April 28.
Khan has also been permitted regular medical check-ups with his personal doctor, according to a copy of the court order seen by The Telegraph.
Allies sceptical over ruling
Syed Zulfikhar Ali Bukhari, the leader of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, told The Telegraph that he was sceptical the jail would allow Khan to call his sons.
“The court allowing and the government permitting are two different things,” Mr Bukhari said.
“The army colonel running the prison in contempt of court is only facilitating those who are on the same page as him,” he added, referring to Pakistan’s military-backed government, which took power after Khan was removed in a 2022 no-confidence vote.
“Unfortunately, Khan has not been able to speak to his sons for a very long time.”
Mr Bukhari added that the jail had not complied with previous court instructions to allow six lawyers from Khan’s legal team to meet him regularly.
The PTI party is currently holding public rallies across Pakistan to put pressure on the government to release its former leader.
He has been in prison since August 2023 and has been embroiled in more than 150 criminal cases.
In January, he was sentenced to 14 years in jail in a corruption case relating to receiving land gifts in exchange for money laundering.
Khan continues to command a devoted following, and his imprisonment has triggered protests across the country since he was first arrested in May 2023.
He has denied any wrongdoing and says all the charges against him are politically motivated.
Pakistan’s generals deny meddling in politics, but have long been accused of propping up favourites or undermining those they dislike.
