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Unsubstantiated claims about the death of imprisoned former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan spread rapidly across social media on Wednesday, as his three sisters filed a formal complaint alleging they were violently attacked by police outside the facility where he is being held.
The rumors, which Pakistani and Indian media outlets reported originated from an unnamed Afghanistan-based news source, claimed Khan had been "mysteriously killed" inside Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. No official statement from Pakistani authorities has addressed the claims, and no credible evidence has emerged to support the reports.
The viral speculation comes amid escalating tensions over Khan's detention and access to the 72-year-old former cricket star turned politician, who has been imprisoned since August 2023 on multiple charges he and his supporters say are politically motivated.
Khan's three sisters, namely Noreen Niazi, Aleema Khan and Uzma Khan, submitted a complaint to Punjab Inspector General of Police Usman Anwar detailing what they described as an unprovoked assault by officers last week. The women said they had been peacefully demonstrating outside the jail after being denied visits with their brother for more than a month, despite court orders allowing family access.
In their letter to the police chief, the sisters said they were neither blocking roads nor engaging in unlawful conduct when streetlights in the area were suddenly switched off, plunging the scene into darkness.
"What followed was a brutal and orchestrated assault by Punjab police personnel," Niazi wrote in the complaint.
Niazi, 71, said she was seized by her hair, thrown to the ground and dragged across the road, sustaining visible injuries. The sisters alleged that supporters of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party who were present were also attacked. They have demanded an impartial investigation into the incident.
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The death rumors gained traction after posts from accounts claiming to represent Afghan government entities and news outlets made the allegations. An account identifying itself as representing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Baluchistan posted that Khan "has been killed by Asim Munir and his ISI administration, according to several news outlets," referring to Pakistan's army chief.
None of the outlets spreading the claims provided verifiable evidence or named specific sources for the information.
Indian media outlets picked up the story on November 25, with several asking "Where is Imran Khan?" in their coverage. Some reports claimed Khan had been isolated for 22 days with no family meetings scheduled, though these claims also remain unverified.
Khan, who served as Pakistan's prime minister from 2018 to 2022, was removed from office through a parliamentary no-confidence vote in April 2022. He has since faced dozens of criminal cases, including charges related to corruption, inciting violence and revealing state secrets. Khan and his PTI party have consistently maintained that the cases are politically motivated attempts to bar him from returning to power.
The former leader's imprisonment has sparked periodic protests from his supporters, and his party has accused the military establishment and current government of orchestrating his detention. Pakistani authorities have denied the allegations, saying Khan faces legitimate criminal charges through proper legal channels..
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