Jemima Goldsmith, former wife of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, has accused the Pakistani government of obstructing her children in communicating with her father.
72-year-old cricketer-petitician Khan is behind bars since August 2023. He was earlier prepared as Prime Minister in a parliamentary vote of faith in April 2022.
Khan faces several allegations including corruption and terrorism, but his supporters believe that the cases are politically motivated and aims to fail his return to power.
In a post on X, Goldsmith said that the government threatened to arrest Khan’s sons if they try to meet them. He prepared it as “a personal vendanda”.
Rana Sanaullah, advisor to Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, was followed by his comment, warned of Khan’s sons against participating in a nationwide protest to demand Khan’s release.
Khan’s children-Sumleman Khan, 28 and 26-year-old Qasim Khan-Live-Live. He created a rare public presence in May, so that he could advocate his father’s release from jail.
The rallies have been scheduled to start from August 5, a protest movement is being organized by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.
‘If they break the law, they will deal accordingly’
Minister of State for Internal State Talal Chaudhary dismissed the political importance of Imran Khan’s sons, saying “he is not focused on the government.”
The minister told DW that the former Prime Minister’s children used to welcome Pakistan to see as legitimate visitors, but if they break the law, they will deal accordingly. “
The PTI party says that Khan’s children only want to see their father free from jail and have no intention of participating in Pakistani politics.
Imran’s advisor Saeed Zulfikar Bukhari on international affairs and media said, “His arrival in the country to join a peaceful movement for his father’s release has caused panic in the concerned quarters, so rumors of his possible arrest are set to test water.”
PTI welcomed his decision to join the protest movement, he said.
What can Khan’s sons achieve?
A political analyst, Asma Shirazi, said that Khan’s sons are unlikely to come to Pakistan to participate in protests, especially given the current challenges faced by the PTI party, which is associated with internal disputes and conflicting agendas.
“If they come to rally for their father in the coming months, I am confident that they will face Khan’s release from jail. He is depicted as a showpiece only to publicly galvanize.” Shirazi told DW.
Osama Malik, a legal expert, said that the government should not obstruct Khan’s sons to meet his father. At the same time, he advised him to engage in political activity.
“It should be clear that every country imposes some restrictions on foreigners who enter a country on a journey or family visa. Khan’s sons should avoid any political activity in Pakistan as it would be against their visa conditions,” he underlined.
Malik said, “Khan’s son, who has very little understanding of Pakistan or has relations with ordinary Pakistanis, can be extremely difficult to catalyze the movement. Instead, they can further divide the party,” Malik said.
PTI to start a new protest campaign to free Khan
Despite being closed, Khan still has millions of supporters in Pakistan and he can still instigate him to take action on his personal charisma.
The designer athlete still expects to leave jail and finally return to power.
Khan’s PTI is currently ready to launch a large -scale campaign on August 5, which establishes a march in Pakistan to suppress the government and the army – the country’s most powerful institute – to release Khan from jail.
During a press conference on Sunday, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister and prominent PTI leader Ali Amin Gandhapur announced a new 90-day timeline referred to as “final push” to free Khan.
Many such protests have increased over the last few years, on time, the capital, Islamabad has been paralyzed for the expanded period.
With a nearby protest, the government is creating a new national paramilitary force. The official initiative will turn into existing paramilitary United, known as a federal constable in a security force with Afghanistan with the north -western border of Pakistan.
Its responsibilities want to include internal security, riot control and anti -terrorism efforts.
“This will be a new and strong force. We request this force to ensure internal security,” said Internal Minister Chaudhary.
In turn, opposition parties and human rights organization have already warned that force can be used to reduce political and civil freedom.
Pay attention to the condition of human rights in Pakistan
The human rights situation in Pakistan became a topic of discussion in the US Congress this week, with a senior American legalist expressing concern over the situation of affairs in the South Asian nation.
A Republican Congressman and Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission co-chairman Chris Smith said Even basic freedom was being compromised under the present government in Islamabad.
He criticized the continuous imprisonment of former-PM Khan.
Smith said, “Life in Pakistan today is marked by violation of basic freedom, especially speech and freedom of media freedom and government denying independent and fair elections.”
The government’s record of human rights records in recent years “took a sharp turn for worse”, he said, “urged Washington” to resume his commitment to democracy and human rights. “
Edited by: Srinivas Majumdaru
