Imran Khan alive or dead? Mystery deepens over ex-Pak PM's fate

A noted Pakistani journalist has claimed that three senior officers at Pakistan's General Headquarters (GHQ) privately expressed fears that jailed former prime minister Imran Khan may no longer be alive, while stressing that the claim remains unconfirmed, according to a Times of India report.

The remarks come amid growing concern over former PM's health and demands from his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party for access to his family and doctors.

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Pakistani journalist Wajahat Saeed Khan said in a video posted on August 10 that three GHQ-based officers had, in different ways, conveyed a belief that Khan was "no longer with us," which he suggested could explain why the Pakistan Army and army chief were keeping him away from public view.

Wajahat later issued a clarification distinguishing between what his sources had actually told him and the fears that his earlier reporting had stirred, as per TOI.

He said the officers had expressed concern about Khan's fate but had not offered evidence that he was dead, and that what they had really confirmed was their own deep unease over the secrecy surrounding his imprisonment.

Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military's media wing, rejected Wajahat's reporting as false. Responding to the ISPR statement, Wajahat said he was glad the military had responded, since a denial itself suggested Khan was alive.

He also cited claims from Bushra Bibi's family that they had seen Khan on jail CCTV footage, walking on his own, though they reportedly flagged ongoing health issues including vision loss and blood pressure spikes.

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The claims surfaced as PTI staged a protest outside Pakistan's Supreme Court on Tuesday over concerns about Khan's health and delays in his pending cases. The demonstration was called off after the court registrar assured party leaders that the cases would be listed for hearing next week.

PTI secretary general Salman Akram Raja said the party had also sought access for Khan's sisters and personal doctors to meet him, TOI's report said, citing Dawn.

Imran Khan, 73, has been incarcerated since August 5, 2023, following his conviction in the Toshakhana case, and is currently serving a sentence in the Al-Qadir Trust case. He remains in Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, facing multiple convictions and pending cases.

With inputs from TOI