‘Reports that Qasim, Sulaiman have been asked not to come are baseless’: PTI

LAHORE: Conflicting statements over whether Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s sons, Qasim and Sulaiman, will participate in the planned August 5 protest in Pakistan have sparked political debate and fuelled media speculation, prompting a formal clarification from the party.

Earlier this week, journalists reporting from outside Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail quoted Khan, currently imprisoned on serious corruption charges linked to a UK-based money laundering case, as saying that his sons would neither return to Pakistan nor take part in any protests. This statement, attributed directly to the PTI founder, was swiftly picked up and widely circulated by national media outlets.

However, the PTI has since rejected the reports, labelling them misleading and “deliberately spread to create confusion and undermine the protest movement.” In a written statement, PTI Central Secretary of Information Sheikh Waqas Akram categorically denied that Khan had asked his sons not to come to Pakistan. “The reports that Qasim and Sulaiman have been asked not to come are baseless,” he said.

“They will come to Pakistan; the only matter pending is the confirmation of travel dates.”

He emphasised that the former prime minister’s sons intend to support the ongoing political struggle and participate in the protest demonstrations, rejecting speculation that family disagreements or security concerns were behind their absence.

Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Omar Ayub Khan, offered a somewhat vague response when asked about the matter. “Imran Khan’s sons are currently campaigning in Washington, DC. It was their choice; they can come whenever they wish,” he said. His remarks did not confirm any travel plans, further adding to the confusion.

The issue has also become a political talking point for government figures. Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari mocked the PTI’s protest preparations, declaring the August 5 demonstration “a flop before it even began.”

In a statement issued Wednesday, Bukhari remarked, “Phuppo (aunty)’s wish did not come true, and the nephews are not coming,” a reference to the party’s internal dynamics. She accused Imran Khan’s sister, Aleema Khan, of anticipating the protest’s failure and suggested that even close relatives had lost confidence in the movement.

“When the so-called revolution does not even have the support of the leader’s children, how can it succeed?” she said. “The current PTI leadership doesn’t seem interested in the protest either.”

Bukhari also shifted focus to alleged financial irregularities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s local governments, claiming that over Rs354 billion in misappropriated funds had been identified. She criticised PTI leaders for championing anti-corruption rhetoric while allegedly presiding over record levels of corruption during the past 12 years.

“Those now being declared ineligible were part of a failed mutiny. Instead of expressing remorse for the May 9 incidents, they continue to defend them — a deeply shameful stance,” she added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025