The sons of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan have accused the government of deliberately endangering their father’s life while he remains imprisoned. Imran Khan, 73, has been incarcerated for three years on corruption charges that his supporters contend are politically motivated. His sons, Kasim and Sulaiman, raised their concerns in a televised interview during the Lord’s Test cricket match in London on Thursday, claiming that Khan is subjected to increasingly severe isolation and inadequate medical care.

Khan’s family says the former cricket star, who led Pakistan to a World Cup victory in 1992 before serving as prime minister from 2018 to 2022, has suffered serious health setbacks in custody. They report he has lost 80 percent of vision in one eye and endures nearly 23 hours a day confined in a small cell without air conditioning despite high temperatures. Sulaiman Khan highlighted his father’s rising blood pressure and stress caused by solitary confinement, suggesting the authorities are purposefully tightening restrictions in a bid to silence him.

“The Pakistan authorities are not even acting with any kind of strategy any more,” Kasim said in a pre-recorded interview. “It is not very clear what they are doing—just blatantly trying to kill him in there.” He called for proper medical treatment and expressed frustration that Khan’s health has worsened significantly, comparing his conditions to those of other political prisoners who have died in custody.

Last week, Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered that Khan be transferred to a hospital in Islamabad until at least September 16. However, his sons maintain that he was only briefly taken to a government medical facility for a short examination before being returned to prison. They criticized the medical check-up as superficial, stating it lasted just about an hour and did not involve independent doctors who had been ready to provide care.

Kasim and Sulaiman, both British nationals, also described their difficulties in visiting their father, alleging their visa applications were blocked for “technical reasons.” They criticized the UK government’s response to their appeals for help as inadequate, with Sulaiman stating, “Whenever we have reached out to the Foreign Office... there has just been such a feeble response.”

The Pakistan Cricket Board filed a complaint regarding their interview being broadcast during the cricket match, which reportedly caused tension, with Pakistan briefly threatening to withdraw from the field.

Pakistani officials have denied all allegations of mistreatment or neglect. The government stated that Khan is housed in a seven-cell compound offering exercise facilities and access to books. They maintain that his incarceration conditions meet acceptable standards.

International voices, including a group of former international cricket captains, have called for improved treatment of Imran Khan amid concern over his reported health deterioration and the nature of his imprisonment.