Pakistan: The swirling rumours about the fate of former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan have plunged the country into a fog of fear, political tension and emotional turmoil, as his family, supporters and critics struggle to separate fact from fiction. What began as an unverified claim on social media late Tuesday night grew into a nationwide frenzy within hours, fuelling speculation that the 72-year-old leader had died in custody inside Rawalpindi’s high-security Adiala Jail.
There has been no confirmation from the Pakistan government, the prison authorities or the military establishment. Yet the silence itself has become its own kind of evidence for many, creating an information vacuum in which rumours thrive. What pushed the story into a more volatile space was not just the alleged report about Khan’s death, but the harrowing scenes that unfolded outside Adiala Jail when his three sisters tried to meet him after nearly three weeks of being denied access.
Noreen Niazi, Aleema Khan and Dr Uzma Khan arrived at the prison gate hoping to check on their brother’s well-being. What followed has only deepened Pakistan’s political storm. In emotional statements to the media, the sisters claim they were violently assaulted by police officers who refused to let them in. According to them, the streetlights near the jail gate were switched off moments before the attack, plunging the road into darkness. One sister alleged she was grabbed by her hair, dragged along the road and thrown aside despite being in her early seventies. Another said she was slapped repeatedly while officers formed a cordon to keep them away from the prison building.
Their descriptions were raw, emotional and deeply disturbing. They insisted they had gathered peacefully outside the jail along with supporters, unarmed and without any intention to defy the law. To them, the violence was not just physical, it was symbolic of the growing secrecy surrounding Khan’s detention.
Imran Khan has been imprisoned in Adiala Jail since August 2023, convicted in a series of cases that his party calls politically motivated. For months, his family and legal team have accused the authorities of isolating him, denying him access to his lawyers, restricting his communication and withholding basic information about his health. Those concerns intensified when multiple requests for family visitation were rejected without explanation this month.
The opaque handling of Khan’s incarceration has created a climate where even minor incidents spark national panic. So when an Afghan media outlet posted a claim, without evidence, that Khan had “died due to mistreatment” in custody, the rumour spread like wildfire across Pakistani social media. Verified accounts amplified the claim, and some suggested the country’s intelligence agencies and top military leadership were withholding the news. For many Pakistanis already distrustful of official narratives, denial from authorities carried little weight.
But there is still no confirmed evidence that Khan is dead. Officials have quietly brushed aside the rumours, describing them as baseless. Privately, some government sources have called them “deeply irresponsible”. Even so, they have not provided clear updates on Khan’s health or allowed an independent medical team to meet him, which has only heightened suspicion among the public.
As night fell outside Adiala Jail, anger began rising among Khan’s supporters. The assault on his sisters triggered protests, loud chants and demands for immediate proof that the former prime minister was alive. After hours of confrontation, the authorities reportedly assured Khan’s family that they would be granted access later this week. The assurance cooled tensions temporarily, but the questions surrounding Khan’s condition remain unanswered.
Pakistan’s political climate has become dangerously fragile since the rumours began. Analysts say the situation reflects a deeper crisis: a collapsing trust between citizens and state institutions. The lack of transparency regarding Khan’s detention has given oxygen to conspiracy theories and misinformation. Even those who do not support him politically worry about the precedent being set. If a former prime minister’s family can be beaten outside a prison gate for seeking information, what does that mean for ordinary citizens?
Human-rights organisations inside Pakistan have demanded an independent inquiry into the reported police assault on Khan’s sisters. They have also called for the government to immediately disclose health and safety details about the former prime minister, arguing that information should not be allowed to drip through politically filtered sources.
For Khan’s supporters, this is not just a political moment but an emotional one. Many recall how previous rumours of his death also gripped the nation earlier this year before being proven false. This time, however, the situation feels more tense, more urgent, partly because the authorities have restricted family visits and partly because the alleged assault on his sisters appears to confirm fears of increasing hostility.
In a country long accustomed to political drama, the atmosphere around Imran Khan’s imprisonment feels different—tenser, darker, charged with a sense of foreboding. The rumours will likely persist until the government provides unambiguous proof of his condition. Until then, Pakistan remains caught between silence and suspicion, between fear and hope, waiting for clarity that never seems to arrive.
As the night deepens over Rawalpindi, one reality has become clear: whether Imran Khan is safe or in danger, alive or harmed, the lack of transparent communication has already inflicted deep wounds on Pakistan’s political consciousness. And for his family, who left Adiala Jail bruised, shaken, and still searching for answers, the uncertainty is the most painful part of all.
