Global Alarm Over Imran Khan as Zalmay Khalilzad Slams Pakistan

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Former US envoy and Khan’s family warn of “proof of life” crisis as weeks-long communication blackout deepens international concern.

By TRH Foreign Affairs Desk

New Delhi, November 28, 2025 — International pressure is mounting on Pakistan over the fate of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan after sharp criticism from former US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, who called the conduct of Pakistan’s establishment “shocking” and lacking all transparency.

In a public statement, Khalilzad said he was “amazed by the behaviour of the Pakistan establishment,” noting that for more than a month, Pakistan’s most popular political party, provincial leadership, Khan’s family, and hundreds of thousands of citizens have been unable to reliably confirm whether Khan is even “dead or alive.” He accused the authorities of refusing to accommodate basic transparency, despite growing national and international concern.

The alarm was intensified by a detailed and emotional statement from Khan’s son, Kasim Khan, who said his father has now been under arrest for 845 days and held for the past six weeks in solitary confinement “in a death cell with zero transparency.”

He alleged that court-ordered family access has been repeatedly denied, with no phone calls, no meetings, and “no proof of life.”

Kasim Khan further warned that the complete blackout was a “deliberate attempt to hide his condition” and held the Pakistani government and its “handlers” fully accountable—“legally, morally and internationally”—for any consequences to his father’s safety. He urged the global community and human rights organisations to urgently intervene and demand immediate access and proof of life.

Khan’s sister, Aleema Khanum, echoed the concerns, calling his isolation illegal and unconstitutional. She said the family does not trust “a single word” from official jail statements and insisted that only direct access by family, lawyers and party leaders can establish the truth about his health and safety.

The family last met Imran Khan on October 16, during the final day of his jail trial with Bushra Bibi. Since November 4, she said, all contact has been completely cut off.

In a striking allegation, Aleema Khanum claimed the family was informally told that access to Imran Khan was being blocked until Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir receives his extension notification—raising serious constitutional questions over the linkage of family rights to military decisions.

The mounting outcry comes amid continued political turmoil following Khan’s removal from office and the sustained crackdown on his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. With proof of life now emerging as a central demand, diplomatic and human rights pressure on Islamabad appears set to intensify in the days ahead.

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