Imran’s sons don’t need visas to visit Pakistan: Tarar

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Wednesday that the sons of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan do not require visas to visit Pakistan to meet their father, who is currently in prison.

His statement came in response to an appeal from Imran’s ex-wife, Jemima Goldsmith, to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, urging the government to allow Kasim Khan and Sulaiman Khan to visit their father in jail.

“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 said in a post on X.

In addition, Tarar confirmed that a phone call between Imran and his children would be arranged on Eid, following the same procedure as in previous instances.

In her appeal, Jemima said, “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.”

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.

Read More: Jemima directly appeals PM Shehbaz to allow sons to meet Imran Khan

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.

Kasim and Sulaiman 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.

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.