A source-based Afghanistan Times report claiming Imran Khan was killed in custody went viral, triggering a wave of panic. Pakistan quickly dismissed the allegations as baseless, calling them a repeat of previously debunked rumours.
BY PC Bureau
November 27, 2025: Rumours surrounding the health and safety of imprisoned former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan escalated sharply on Wednesday after his three sisters alleged that they were “brutally manhandled” by security personnel outside Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail while attempting to meet him. The sisters — Noreen Niazi, Aleema Khan, and Dr Uzma Khan — said they had been denied access to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief for more than three weeks.
The allegations emerged amid a fresh storm of speculation triggered by unverified reports from Afghan media claiming that the 72-year-old PTI leader had died in custody. A report by Afghanistan Times claimed Khan had “succumbed to alleged mistreatment” inside Adiala Jail and that his body had been removed from the facility — a claim widely amplified across social media.
The self-styled “Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Balochistan” further escalated tensions by alleging on X that Khan had been assassinated in prison under a conspiracy involving Pakistan’s intelligence agency, ISI, and Army Chief General Asim Munir. The post warned that if the claims were verified, it would signal the “collapse of Pakistan’s remaining legitimacy.”
However, Pakistani authorities have strongly rejected the rumours, dismissing the Afghanistan Times report as baseless and drawing parallels to similar false claims made in May. Viral photographs circulating online, purportedly showing Khan in critical condition, were also flagged as old and misleading.
READ: Hong Kong’s Deadliest Blaze in Decades Claims 55 Lives
As tensions mounted outside Adiala Jail, Aleema Khan and PTI workers ended their sit-in after police assured them that family meetings with Imran Khan would resume. According to ARY News, Khan’s family has been granted access later on Thursday and again next Tuesday, after which more than 10,000 PTI supporters dispersed peacefully.
False rumours about Imran Khan being “killed in jail” came from two anonymous Afghan accounts and were repeated by Indian media without verification, using old photos. PTI confirms he’s fine. This was deliberate disinformation—always verify shocking claims. #ImranKhan#sstvi pic.twitter.com/gTyR2f98gz
— Poshmaal khan (@Ashch664Ch) November 27, 2025
Khan, who has been behind bars since August 2023 following convictions in multiple corruption cases, has repeatedly complained of harsh jail conditions. His sister Aleema earlier alleged that he was being kept in a “death cell” meant for high-risk terror convicts.
Members of Khan’s legal team have also claimed that he is being denied books, basic necessities and even access to his lawyers. “It is the law of the jungle,” said advocate Khalid Yousaf Chaudry, adding that “only the beast who rules has rights.”
The restrictions appear to extend beyond family and legal counsel. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi was denied permission seven times to meet Khan, according to PTI, which alleges that jail authorities operate under direct orders from a senior army officer.
Despite official denials, the vacuum of verified information — combined with rising political tensions and the military’s continued grip over Pakistan’s political landscape — has allowed rumours to proliferate, triggering intense speculation across the region.
