ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek e-Insaf has urged the government to issue a clear public clarification addressing the growing wave of rumours surrounding the health of imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan, warning that persistent uncertainty was fuelling speculation both inside the country and abroad.
The party said concerns intensified after Imran’s sisters were denied permission to meet him on multiple occasions in recent weeks, prompting them to stage sit-ins outside Adiala jail and publicly demand information about his wellbeing. Their repeated refusals, PTI argued, created a void that allowed unverified claims to spread unchecked across social media platforms.
Throughout the week, several Afghan and Indian social media accounts circulated old images and unconfirmed claims about Imran’s health, with some foreign outlets amplifying the speculation.
PTI said these posts were designed to provoke panic and insisted that the state had a responsibility to dispel the rumours with timely and transparent information.
In its statement, the party said the interior ministry must issue a formal assessment describing Imran’s current health, his security arrangements inside the prison and his legal status. PTI added that such clarity was necessary not only for the family but for the wider public, given the scale at which false claims were being circulated.
The party further argued that the state should identify the sources behind what it described as a coordinated misinformation campaign.
It said those responsible for spreading baseless claims of a sensitive nature must be investigated and the findings made public. PTI leaders also warned that the public would not tolerate ambiguity regarding Imran’s condition or treatment during incarceration.
The government, meanwhile, has attempted to calm the situation by rejecting the rumours outright. Officials said the fact checking unit of the Ministry of Information examined the earliest posts and traced many to Afghan accounts which were subsequently boosted by Indian networks.
The ministry said these posts misrepresented outdated photographs as recent evidence and created an unnecessary panic that spread rapidly through domestic users.
Authorities also said that the restrictions on family meetings were related to administrative issues rather than deliberate obstruction, though they provided no specific explanation. They said suggestions of a cover up were inaccurate and that no medical officer at Adiala jail had reported any emergency involving the former prime minister.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif stated separately that Imran remained in the same conditions previously disclosed, including access to exercise equipment, home cooked meals and a television inside his cell. He said the political narrative constructed around the rumours was disconnected from the information shared with the courts and the media during earlier briefings.
Imran has been held at Adiala since August 2023 in connection with the £190 million corruption case. He also faces charges linked to the May 9 riots, though he maintains that all cases against him are politically motivated.
