New Delhi: Two years after Imran Khan was jailed over a corruption case, his sons have come to his rescue: Qasim and Suleman Khan.
Putting them in the spotlight, PTI is gearing up for nationwide rallies demanding his release.
The teenage sons, based in London, who have long kept their distance from politics, are now stepping forward with fervent public appeals for their father’s release. In recent weeks, they’ve given interviews, taken to social media, and questioned the conditions under which their father has been held. Pakistanis are calling it ‘halal dynastic politics’.
In response, the government has created a new paramilitary force to counter anticipated unrest as political factions continue to exchange barbs.
Qasim Khan described the past 700 days as a time of forced separation from his father. He called out the government’s refusal to allow family visits and even access to Khan’s personal physician.
“Our father lived in Pakistan—away from us—for most of our lives. Not because he had to, but because he chose to stand up against a corrupt regime,” Qasim wrote. “While he wasn’t there every day as a father, Pakistan had him as a leader. He gave his country everything: hospitals, universities, and a movement for justice. He’s been offered the chance to spend the rest of his days in comfort—going on walks or playing cricket with us in England. Instead, he chooses to remain locked away in a dark prison cell,” he wrote on X.
The brothers are reportedly also planning to travel to the US to raise international awareness about what they call human rights violations in Pakistan. Imran Khan’s sons also shared a post on Tuesday on an official petition for his release being filed in New Zealand.
Politics and dissent
The Pakistani government is not happy about this.
President Asif Ali Zardari Sunday approved a proposal to convert the Frontier Constabulary—previously a tribal border force—into the Federal Constabulary, granting it nationwide policing powers under an ordinance.
The move immediately drew concern from rights groups.
“We are alarmed by the changes being made to the security and law enforcement structure of the country without any debate in parliament,” said Haris Khalique, Secretary of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.
PTI spokesperson Zulfikar Bukhari accused the government of “repurposing” the force to target political opposition.
“This new force should not be used as a gimmick to silence political opponents, as has been previously witnessed,” he warned.
The PTI has declared 5 August as the official date for mass protests—marking exactly two years since Khan’s arrest, and a symbolic milestone for the embattled party.
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Return of dynasty politics
But even before the sons’ potential return, political tension is mounting.
On Wednesday, Pakistan’s Minister of State for Law and Justice, Barrister Aqeel Malik, issued a veiled threat: the government may deny Qasim and Suleman entry into the country if they “spread discord”.
“If they intend to visit Pakistan, the interior ministry will assess their purpose. But if they’re coming to join the PTI movement, we will take action,” Malik said on Geo News’ Capital Talk. He added that while the government has no issue with the brothers visiting, they “must not engage in protest activities.”
Khan’s ex-wife, Jemima Goldsmith, has labelled it a personal vendetta’.
Meanwhile, Pakistanis are simply unimpressed.
While some supporters welcomed the brothers’ growing involvement, others criticised them for showing up late, and from abroad. Their appeals, many argued, clashed with their father’s long-standing rhetoric against political dynasties and overseas elites.
“They should have been in Pakistan a long time ago. Imran Khan hypocritically used to bash his opponents—‘inkay jaidaad aur bachay sab bahar hain’—while his own sons and their mother live in luxury outside. Why the lectures now?,” one Pakistani user wrote on X.
Some questioned Khan’s legacy as a father. One viral meme used a famous line from The Godfather:
“A man who doesn’t spend time with his family is not a good father.”
Even PTI supporters find themselves split. They think this is ‘peak hypocrisy’.
For years, Imran Khan built his political identity by rejecting dynastic politics. His decision to keep his family out of political life was often presented as a point of moral superiority over rivals like the Sharifs and Bhuttos.
“IK built his politics on rejecting dynastic rule. Now, from behind bars, his previously apolitical sons are stepping into the spotlight to defend him. None can master the art of doing exactly what it once opposed better than this party,” X user Zainab Qureshi wrote.