The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has denied media reports suggesting that party founder Imran Khan barred his sons from travelling to Pakistan, calling such claims factually incorrect and taken out of context.
The party’s central secretary for information, Sheikh Waqas Akram, dismissed the reports on Tuesday, terming them misleading and urged journalists, particularly those reporting from Adiala Jail, to refrain from selectively quoting the former prime minister.
“The news circulating in the media regarding Imran Khan’s children is completely false. Khan has not at all prevented his children from coming to Pakistan,” said Akram in a post on X.
“There should be no doubt that Imran Khan’s children will come to Pakistan; only the date remains to be decided,” he added, stating that Khan’s sons had already informed their father of their plans and did not seek his permission.
The remarks came after some media outlets, quoting sources present during a hearing at Adiala Jail, reported that Khan had stated his sons—Sulaiman and Kasim—would not be coming to Pakistan to join the protest planned for August 5.
Responding to such claims, Akram criticised what he described as “selective interpretation” of Khan’s remarks and stressed that only direct quotes should be reported.
“I would urge my friends in the media, especially those reporting from Adiala, to convey exactly what Khan says. It is inappropriate to report his remarks selectively or out of context, or to interpret them based on personal preferences,” said the PTI secretary urging such propaganda should be avoided, as it serves no purpose.
Earlier this month, Khan’s sister Aleema Khan had told reporters that Sulaiman and Qasim would participate in the protest movement. “They will first go to the United States to raise awareness about the injustices faced by their father and then take part in the movement in Pakistan,” she had said.
Reports also suggested that the brothers had held meetings with key individuals in the United States ahead of their possible arrival in Pakistan.
However, the issue has drawn reactions from the government as well. Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah warned that Khan’s sons, who reside in the United Kingdom with their mother Jemima Goldsmith, would be arrested if they participated in the protest.
Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry echoes this view, stating that the brothers would need proper visas to enter Pakistan if they are not citizens. “No individual, local or foreign, will be allowed to come to Pakistan and take the law into their own hands,” he said.
