Jemima Goldsmith, the ex-wife of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, has called for British government intervention to ensure he receives proper medical care. She has also questioned the British government’s silence on the matter.
Jemima Goldsmith has urged British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband to publicly intervene regarding 73-year-old Imran Khan, describing the situation as a human rights emergency.
In a post on the social media platform X on Monday (August 24), Jemima wrote, “Prime Minister Burnham and Foreign Secretary Miliband: How much longer will Britain remain silent?”
Jemima alleged that for the past three years, Imran Khan has been subjected to “cruel punishment” by his political opponents. She claimed he has been held in solitary confinement for an extended period and denied regular contact with his family, as well as access to books, lawyers, and doctors.
She wrote that his family has not been allowed to contact him for nearly ten months, and he has been deprived of even the most basic human contact.
Citing the UN’s Nelson Mandela Rules, Jemima noted that solitary confinement exceeding 15 consecutive days is considered “tantamount to torture.” She alleged that Imran Khan’s isolation, spanning nearly three years, far exceeds that limit.
On the same day, Jemima also highlighted Imran Khan’s long-standing ties with Britain in her post on X.
She noted that Imran Khan studied at Oxford University and played county cricket in England before entering Pakistani politics. He was also involved in various charitable activities.
Jemima wrote, “His relationship with this country spans more than five decades. His charitable work is internationally recognized, including the establishment of Pakistan’s only free cancer hospital and a university.”
Jemima also mentioned that her two sons with Imran Khan—Sulaiman and Qasim—are British citizens, stating that they are not getting the opportunity to see their father regularly. Jemima alleges that her two sons were denied visas for Pakistan, threatened with arrest, and—despite a court order—deprived of the opportunity to speak with Imran Khan regularly by phone.
Jemima stated that she had repeatedly appealed to the British government to intervene regarding Imran Khan’s situation. However, she remarked that the alleged attempts to resolve the issue through behind-the-scenes diplomatic channels had clearly failed.
She revealed that former British Foreign Secretary David Lammy had informed her in writing that Britain would not intervene if her sons were arrested upon traveling to Pakistan to visit their father.
“I have repeatedly appealed to the British government for intervention,” Jemima said. “The alleged behind-the-scenes efforts have clearly failed.”
Recently, the Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered that comprehensive medical treatment be arranged for Imran Khan. However, last Saturday, instead of transferring him to a private hospital as directed by the Supreme Court, the government moved him to a state-run hospital. The government claimed this decision was made because a large number of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters had gathered outside the private Shifa International Hospital.
Imran Khan’s sister, Uzma Khan, subsequently approached the Supreme Court, alleging that the government had violated the court’s order.
