Former Pak PM Imran Khan in Dark Jail Cell, Denied Family and Lawyer Visit: Ex-Wife Jemima

Islamabad: Jemima Goldsmith, the ex-wife of Pakistan ’s imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan, has made serious accusations against the Shehbaz Sharif-led government claiming that her former husband is being held in solitary confinement, with authorities cutting off electricity in his cell and preventing him from making his weekly phone calls to their sons.

Goldsmith's allegations come as Pakistan hosts a two-day SCO Summit in Islamabad, attended by top leaders from member states, including India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar . The capital city has been turned into a high-security zone, with a lockdown-like situation. In the lead-up to the summit, authorities arrested hundreds of Khan’s supporters who were attempting to march in Islamabad, demanding his release.

In a social media post on Tuesday, Goldsmith, who was married to Khan from 1995 to 2004, claimed that Pakistani authorities have postponed all court hearings and stopped visits by his friends and family. Khan has been held at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi since his arrest on August 5, 2023.

Goldsmith stated, "In addition to cutting off in-person visits, and in defiance of a court order, his weekly calls to our sons, Sulaiman and Kasim Khan, who are British citizens living in London, were halted on September 10." She added that authorities have turned off the lights in his cell, and he is now completely isolated in solitary confinement, with no contact with the outside world. His lawyers are increasingly concerned for his safety and well-being.

She also accused the government of targeting Khan’s family, stating that this was part of an attempt to silence political opposition. "Imran's nephew, Hassan Niazi, a civilian, has been held in military custody since August 2023. Recently, his sisters, Uzma and Aleema Khan, were arrested while peacefully heading to a demonstration, and they are currently in jail without any lawful justification," she said, calling for their release.

Imran Khan continues to face multiple legal cases, with convictions in several of them.