Says sons applied for visas in January, consulate stated 7–10 day processing time, but 60 days have now passed
PM Shehbaz (Clock wise), Imran Khan, Jemima Goldsmith, Sulaiman Khan and Kasim Khan. Photos: File
Jemima Goldsmith, the ex-wife of jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, on Monday made a direct appeal to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to allow their sons, Kasim Khan and Sulaiman Khan, to visit their father in prison.
Imran has been imprisoned since August 2023, currently serving a sentence at Adiala Jail in a £190 million corruption case. In addition, he faces pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) related to the protests of May 9, 2023. The brothers have not seen their father since November 2022 after he survived an assassination attempt. They said they applied for visas in January but have yet to receive a response.
In a post on X today, Jemima said that the request was prompted by concerns about Imran’s health and delays in the visa process for their sons.
“This is an appeal directly to Pakistan’s PM Shehbaz Sharif to please allow Imran Khan’s two sons to see their father asap, particularly since, by all accounts, his health is in decline,” she wrote.
My sons Sulaiman & @kasim_khan_1999 applied for visas in January (again… ) to allow them to visit their father @ImranKhanPTI in Pakistan. The Pakistan consulate states that online visa processing normally takes 7–10 working days. It has now been 60 days. This despite the public…
— Jemima Goldsmith (@Jemima_Khan) March 16, 2026
Jemima added that her sons had applied for visas earlier this year but had yet to receive approval.
“My sons Sulaiman and Kasim applied for visas in January (again…) to allow them to visit their father Imran Khan in Pakistan. The Pakistan consulate states that online visa processing normally takes 7–10 working days. It has now been 60 days,” she said.
Jemima said this was despite a public promise that their sons could safely travel to Pakistan to see their father after four years, assurances that Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had given to British-American journalist Mehdi Hasan and PM spokesperson Mosharraf Zaidi had conveyed to Sky News presenter Yalda Hakim.
“They are not allowed to speak to him on the phone, nor send him a letter. They haven’t seen him since 2022 after he was shot in an assassination attempt,” she said.
Kasim had accused the government last month of deliberately refusing to process his visa and that of his brother to prevent the siblings from meeting their father.
He said that denying a prisoner treatment was cruel and denying his children the right to see him was collective punishment.
Last year, Imran’s sister Aleema Khan had told reporters that the brothers would participate in a protest movement planned for August 5, 2025. Later, it was reported that Imran had stated his sons would not be coming to Pakistan to join the protest. The brothers had later held meetings with key individuals in the United States.
