Defense Minister Khawaja Asif on Sunday rejected claims that former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s sons cannot enter Pakistan over denial of visas, saying they can visit the country whenever they wish on their National Identity Cards for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOPs).
“The children of the founder of PTI last traveled to Pakistan on these NICOPs in 2022,” he wrote on X. “And today, if they want, they can visit Pakistan. Both NICOPs are valid. It is wrong for the family or PTI to give the impression that the government is not giving them visas,” he added.
In various interviews, Khan’s sons Kasim and Sulaiman have alleged they cannot visit their incarcerated father due to a denial of visas. Prior to Asif’s statement, the Information Ministry had similarly declared they both held valid NICOPs and could travel to the country.
Asif’s post also shared details of both children’s NICOPs, stating Sulaiman’s is valid until Jan. 6, 2030, while Kasim’s is valid until Nov. 8, 2032.
Kasim and Sulaiman, over the past week, have appeared on various TV shows to share their concerns about their father’s health in prison. They have said they have not met their father since November 2022, adding they had applied for visas in January but had yet to receive any response from relevant authorities.
Khan was taken into custody in August 2023 and is currently serving out a sentence in a £190 million corruption case.