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| Imran Khan ‘proof of life’ row deepens after Pak journalist’s startling exposure | | |  Sanjay Pandita
Early Times Report
Jammu, Aug 13: The controversy surrounding the whereabouts and well-being of jailed former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has intensified after Pakistani journalist Wajahat S. Khan claimed in a video dated August 11 that his reporting had prompted Pakistan’s military media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), to issue what he described as a “proof of life” confirmation regarding the former premier.
The claims have triggered fresh questions about Khan’s security and conditions inside Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, where he has been incarcerated amid multiple legal cases. However, the more serious allegations concerning surveillance and an alleged conspiracy against him remain unverified.
Wajahat S. Khan, in his second video on the issue, reportedly said his earlier reporting had forced the Pakistani military establishment to respond to growing speculation about Khan’s condition. The journalist further claimed that the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi maintains round-the-clock surveillance inside the jail where the former prime minister is being held.
The claims come at a particularly sensitive time, with Khan’s supporters and family members continuing to raise concerns about his access to family, lawyers and medical care. Amnesty International said earlier this month that Khan had been subjected to prolonged solitary confinement and that his access to family, lawyers and medical care had been restricted.
Imran Khan, a former international cricket star who founded the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), became Pakistan’s 22nd Prime Minister on August 18, 2018, after his party emerged as the largest force following the general election. He remained in office until April 2022, when he lost a no-confidence vote in the National Assembly.
His political battle with Pakistan’s powerful military establishment subsequently intensified, with Khan repeatedly accusing elements of the establishment of conspiring against him—allegations the authorities have denied.
Khan was first arrested in the Al-Qadir Trust case on May 9, 2023, when Rangers personnel detained him at the Islamabad High Court. The arrest triggered nationwide protests and violent clashes between his supporters and security forces, including attacks on military installations. Reuters reported that his arrest at the Islamabad High Court sparked fresh turmoil across the nuclear-armed country.
Although the Supreme Court subsequently ordered his release, Khan was arrested again The latest controversy erupted after reports and social media speculation questioned whether Khan was alive and whether his family and legal representatives were being given adequate access to him.
The latest controversy erupted after reports and social media speculation questioned whether Khan was alive and whether his family and legal representatives were being given adequate access to him.
The Pakistani military has publicly rejected reports suggesting that Khan had died in custody. Recent reporting indicates that the military issued an unusual public response amid widespread rumours concerning the former prime minister’s condition.
Against this backdrop, Wajahat S. Khan’s latest video has added another layer to the controversy by alleging that the military establishment exercises extensive surveillance over Khan inside the prison.
If accurate, the allegation would underline the extraordinary level of security and political sensitivity surrounding the former prime minister, who remains one of Pakistan’s most influential political figures despite spending three years in detention.
However, there is currently no independently verified evidence that GHQ directly operates 24/7 surveillance inside Khan’s prison cell or that the Pakistani Army is plotting to harm him. Such claims should therefore be treated as allegations rather than established facts.
Khan’s imprisonment reached the three-year mark in August 2026, prompting PTI supporters to stage demonstrations in several parts of Pakistan. More than 100 PTI workers were reportedly arrested during protests marking the anniversary of his imprisonment.
The former prime minister’s continued incarceration has become a major fault line in Pakistani politics. His supporters describe the cases against him as politically motivated, while Pakistani authorities maintain that his detention is the result of judicial proceedings.
The latest “proof of life” controversy, coupled with Wajahat S. Khan’s allegations about surveillance, has nevertheless brought renewed international attention to the question of who controls access to Imran Khan, what his actual conditions are inside Adiala Jail, and whether his communications with the outside world are being tightly monitored.
For now, the most explosive claims circulating around Khan’s fate remain unconfirmed, but the fact that rumours have prompted an unusually prominent response from Pakistan’s military establishment has added to the political drama surrounding the former premier. |
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