Imran’s sons applied for visas: Aleema

ISLAMABAD: Aleema Khan, sister of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, Friday said her nephews have applied for their visas and are awaiting approval from the interior ministry before arriving in the country.

In a post on social media platform X, she wrote that “a few days ago, Sulaiman Khan, 28, and Kasim Khan, 26, applied for visas at the Pakistani High Commission in London. The ambassador has said that they are awaiting approval from the interior ministry in Islamabad”.

Her statement on the social media account has put at rest speculations whether or not the two will come to Pakistan, after having visited the United States recently, where they highlighted the incarceration and related issues with the US administration officials.

Aleema had announced a few weeks back that her nephews will be in Pakistan and be part of the party’s planned protest movement. But she had also said that first they would go to the United States in connection with the imprisonment of their father.

Imran Khan has fixed August 5 for the planned movement for the rule of law, independence of judiciary and release of the jailed party leaders and workers. However, a few days later, he complained that he was not seeing any moment with regards to the protest movement. Imran Khan has been in prison since August 2023 and is currently serving a sentence in a £190 million corruption case in Adiala Jail, and is also facing other cases under the Anti-Terrorism Act related to the May 9, 2023 protests.

However, in a related development following Aleema Khan’s statement, the Pakistan High Commission in London expressed unawareness regarding any visa request made by Imran Khan’s sons.

Officials clarified that there is no need to contact the High Commission for visa as the entire process is conducted online. All visa requests are submitted directly to Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior through the online portal.

Separately, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry raised questions about Aleema Khan’s claims that Imran’s sons had applied for visas.

“You previously stated that the children hold NICOPs. If that is true, they do not require visas to enter Pakistan. If they do need visas, that means they are not Pakistani nationals. What is the real truth behind it all?” he asked Aleema Khan in a statement on his social media account.