Afghan media outlets spread alleged news of Imran Khan’s death in prison

Several Afghan media outlets shared news on social media claiming the death of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, with many reporting that he “was assassinated in prison.” The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has demanded official clarification from the government over such rumors.

Imran Khan, who has been incarcerated for the past two years, has been denied permission to meet his family. Rumors about his well-being frequently circulate on social media as his family expresses concern for his health.

Recently, Aleema Khan expressed fear that her brother might have been shifted from Adiala Jail. Authorities have not yet issued any statement on this. As Afghan media outlets started running news about Imran Khan’s alleged death, Indian media outlets also picked up those headlines, often placing them in quotation marks.

However, the reports were unverified and mostly false. The Ministry of Information labeled the news as fake on X. A fact-check account of the ministry stated: “Anonymous Afghan accounts circulated an unverified rumor that Imran Khan was killed in custody and his body moved. Indian outlets repeated the rumor using two old photos from 2013 and 2022 as ‘fresh evidence.’”

Afghan media outlets claimed that Pakistan’s establishment was behind Imran Khan’s alleged death and continued to share false information about Field Marshal Asim Munir.

Amid the speculations, Pakistan PTI released a statement demanding that the government facilitate a meeting between Imran Khan and his family to dispel such rumors.

“A transparent and official statement must be issued regarding Chairman Imran Khan’s health, safety, and current status. Additionally, those responsible for spreading such dangerous and sensitive rumors must be investigated, and the facts should be presented before the nation,” PTI said.

“Ensuring Imran Khan’s safety and fundamental human rights is paramount,” the statement added.