Amid the uproar about the alleged death of Imran Khan, Pakistan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Khurram Zeeshan on Saturday detailed that the former Prime Minister is alive and currently lodged in Adiala Jail.
He added that Khan has been locked in an isolated jail as a tactic to pressurise him into leaving Pakistan. Khurram Zeeshan told ANI the regime in the country is scared of Imran Khan’s popularity, which is why they have not allowed any pictures or videos of him to be released. Earlier this week, several social media handles from Afghanistan had claimed that Imran Khan had been murdered inside Rawalpindi’s jail.
That, coupled with the fact that Pakistani authorities had not allowed Imran Khan’s sisters to meet him for the past month despite the court orders, added to the rumors that Khan has been killed in prison.
“It is very unfortunate. It’s been almost a month of his isolation, and his family, his lawyers, and even the senior leadership of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf have not been allowed to meet him. This is a complete violation of human rights. It seems they are trying to force him into something,” he told ANI.
Putting an end to the rumour mills, Zeeshan said, “In the last few days, we have been given a guarantee, we have been assured. He is alive and currently lodged in Adiala Jail. He is okay.”
On being asked what sort of deal the Pakistan government is trying to strike with Imran Khan, the Senator said he has been asked to leave the country and stay silent.
“They are trying to strike a deal with Imran Khan, asking him to leave the country. They even promise him concessions if he goes abroad and stays silent at a place of his choice. But Imran Khan will never agree to it. The kind of leader he is, he will never approve it,” he added.
Despite his imprisonment, Khan’s influence continues to grow. His party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has a strong base among Pakistan’s young population, and his ideology has already begun to resonate across generations, Zeeshan noted.
“PTI has a bright future. When such situations arise, they bring out the best in people. Those who truly believe in these values are stepping forward,” he added.
When asked why no photos of Imran Khan have been released since his incarceration, Zeeshan said the ruling dispensation in Pakistan appears threatened, fearing that even a single image could mobilise public support.
