Pakistan in Turmoil Over Imran Khan Death Claim, Journalist Says Report Not Confirmed

New Delhi : A sensational claim that former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan may have died in jail has triggered fresh political turmoil in Islamabad, with a Pakistani journalist alleging that senior military officials believe he is “no longer with us.” However, the claim remains unverified, and the journalist himself has stressed that he could not independently confirm Imran Khan’s alleged death.

Pakistani journalist Wajahat S. Khan, who is considered close to Imran Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), said in a video that he had spoken to three senior officials at Pakistan Army headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, who separately expressed the belief that Imran Khan was no longer alive or possibly no longer in prison.

Wajahat said the information was based on what the officials believed and that none of them had personally witnessed anything that could confirm the report. The journalist described the matter as extremely serious while making it clear that he hoped the claim would prove false.

Meanwhile, Imran Khan’s family has alleged that they are being prevented from meeting the former prime minister, adding to growing speculation surrounding his condition and whereabouts. Imran Khan, who became Pakistan’s prime minister in 2018, was removed from office in April 2022 after losing a no-confidence vote and subsequently became embroiled in a series of legal battles with the government and the powerful military establishment.

He was first arrested on May 9, 2023, in connection with the Al-Qadir Trust case, triggering widespread protests and violence across Pakistan, including attacks on military installations. He was later arrested again in August 2023 after being convicted in the Toshakhana case and has remained behind bars amid multiple legal proceedings.

The latest claim has therefore added another dramatic twist to the long-running political and legal saga surrounding the former cricketer-turned-politician, but there is currently no independently verified confirmation of his death, making the allegation a matter of intense speculation rather than an established fact.