Is Pakistan blocking visas of Imran Khan’s son to stop them from meeting him in jail?

The spotlight is back on Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan amid his failing health. Amid the ongoing rumours about his survival, his sons Sulaiman Isa Khan and Kasim Khan have claimed that the Pakistani government is not allowing them to meet their father.

Sulaiman Isa and Kasim are the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief's sons from his first marriage to British heiress Jemima Goldsmith, and live in London with their mother. The brothers claim that Pakistani authorities are intentionally obstructing their visa applications, which in turn prevents them from travelling to the country to visit their ailing father.

Here's all you need to know about the incident.

What are Khan's sons claiming?

Sulaiman Isa and Kasim have voiced concern over their father’s condition, claiming Imran Khan has been isolated for weeks in a death cell without access to his family. When death rumours surfaced late last year, Kasim had even called for proof of life, appealing for international intervention.

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Kasim on Wednesday (February 4) took to the social media platform, X, where he claimed that the government is deliberately refusing to process his and his brother's visas.

"My brother and I are trying to travel to Pakistan to see our father. For 914 days, he has been held in solitary confinement while his health deteriorates and he is denied access to independent medical care."

Calling for intervention once again, he wrote, "I call on international human rights organisations and governments to speak out and act before irreversible harm is done."

The sons are not alone. Khan's sisters have not been allowed to meet him, despite orders from the Islamabad High Court to allow meetings twice a week.

What we know about Khan's health

The development comes amid months-long speculation about the former Pakistan PM's health. Last week, the government admitted that the 73-year-old was treated at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims).

According to GeoTV, he recently underwent an eye procedure at the hospital, where doctors confirmed that pressure in blood vessels had affected his vision. Khan's party has accused the government of withholding details of his medical condition for several days.

The PTI slammed the act of “secretly transferring” Khan to the hospital, deliberately keeping his family and the party leadership uninformed, and denying him access to personal physicians, according to a report in the Dawn.

According to the PTI, Khan has been diagnosed with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) in his right eye, "resulting in a dangerous blockage in the retinal vein". It claimed that the eye condition could cause permanent damage to his eyesight if not treated promptly.

Who are Kasim and Sulaiman Isa Khan?

The sons have been raised in London and lived their entire adult lives in the UK for more than two decades; both are believed to hold British citizenship through their mother.

Kasim was born on April 10, 1999 and studied Islamic history at the University of Bristol before launching his own digital platform. According to  News18, he has been using public relations campaigns and social media interventions to highlight what he calls the "unlawful isolation" of his father. Kasim is an ardent supporter of PTI even after spending most of his life abroad.

The elder of the two brothers, Sulaiman, was born on November 18, 1996 and attended a school in Birmingham. He once campaigned for his maternal uncle, Jack Goldsmith, during a mayoral race, managing the youth wing of his campaign.

According to News18, Sulaiman is associated with an international non-profit and occasionally works on programmes involving former world leaders. Years ago, the brothers briefly entered UK politics, launching a short-lived Referendum Party to contest local elections in a largely symbolic move.

With inputs from agencies