Imran Khan's sons 'welcome to visit Pakistan' on Nicop, says info minister after Jemima's appeal

ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stated on Wednesday that the sons of incarcerated former prime minister Imran Khan were "welcome" to visit Pakistan using their National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (Nicop), responding to an appeal made by Imran's former spouse Jemima Goldsmith to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Tarar made the remarks on social media platform X, addressing a post by Jemima in which she had appealed to PM Shehbaz over delays in issuing visas for Imran's sons, Kasim and Sulaiman.

"Imran Khan's phone call will be arranged on Eid day with his children as done in the past as well," the information minister said.

"His children are welcome to visit Pakistan on their Nicop cards as Pakistani citizens for which no visa is required. However, they will fully comply with the laws of Pakistan during their stay," he added.

Jemima's appeal to PM Shehbaz

Jemima Goldsmith had made an appeal to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday regarding the matter. Her sons, Kasim and his older brother Sulaiman, reside in London with their mother and would need to travel to Pakistan in order to meet their father, who remains imprisoned at Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail.

In her appeal, Jemima had raised concerns about the delay in the issuance of visas for her sons to visit Pakistan. The information minister's response came two days after her public appeal, offering an alternative route for the visit through Nicop cards, which would not require a visa as the holders are Pakistani citizens.

Phone call arrangement on Eid

The information minister also assured that a phone call between the former premier and his children would be facilitated on Eid day, noting that such arrangements had been made in the past as well. However, Tarar emphasised that during any visit to Pakistan, Imran's sons would be required to fully comply with the country's laws.

Imran Khan has been incarcerated at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, and meetings with family members have been a recurring subject of discussion. The latest exchange between Jemima and the government highlights the ongoing complexities surrounding the former prime minister's imprisonment and his family's access to him.