ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Information Minister Attaullah Tarar dismissed rumors of former prime minister Imran Khan’s death on Sunday, saying that he was “hale and hearty.”
Tarar’s response came in the backdrop of concerns raised by Khan’s sister Aleema Khanum and Noreen Niazi, who have both voiced concern at rumors spread online this week that claimed Khan had died in the central jail in Rawalpindi where he remains incarcerated.
Khan’s family has protested recently, claiming that the government is not allowing them and the former premier’s lawyers to meet him in jail. They allege he has been kept in solitary confinement in prison and is being denied basic human rights. The government and jail authorities have rejected these allegations.
“Let me assure you, he is hale and hearty,” Tarar told reporters during a press conference. “There is no problem. He runs on the treadmill for an hour daily.”
The minister alleged that Khan was a “privileged prisoner” who has been enjoying the facilities of a five-star hotel in Adiala Jail.
“But a propaganda is being done on Indian channels and Afghan channels,” Tarar said, referring to Niazi who had raised concerns for Khan’s health during an interview with India Today this week.
In an interview with Independent Urdu this week, Khanum said it was likely that rumors of her brother’s death were being spread to gauge the public’s reaction. She did not specifically say who was behind the rumors.
Khan, a 73-year-old cricketer-turned-politician, has been in jail since August 2023 on a slew of charges he says are politically motivated.
He served as Pakistan’s prime minister from 2018-2022 before his ouster from office in April 2022 via a parliamentary vote.
Khan publicly criticized Pakistan’s powerful army generals and the judiciary after his ouster. He blamed the military for colluding with his political opponents to keep him away from power and denying his party victory in the 2024 general election, charges both the army and his political rivals have strongly denied.
