A wild claim ricocheted across social media on Wednesday after an Afghanistan-based outlet reported that former Pakistan prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan had been killed inside Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail. Within minutes, the rumour spiralled, drawing a wave of frantic posts on X speculating about Khan’s supposed death.
It wasn’t new. Rumours around Khan’s death have flared before. In May 2025, similar hoaxes claimed he had been shot dead or assaulted at home. But the frenzy this week escalated sharply when an unverified press release, styled as an official note from Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, began circulating online, falsely announcing Khan’s death.
The information ministry dismissed the document as fake and urged the public to reject what it called “irresponsible behaviour.”
PTI supporters gather outside Adiala Jail
As the rumour mill spun faster, thousands of PTI supporters converged outside Adiala Jail, demanding answers about Khan’s condition. The military government moved quickly, deploying additional security as the crowd swelled on Adiala Road.
Tensions had already been rising. Hours earlier, Rawalpindi police had detained Khan’s sisters, whose sit-in near the jail dragged on before ending after negotiations. Khan’s three sisters, along with senior PTI leaders, had been barred from meeting him, a move that triggered a standoff at multiple police checkpoints.
Among those stopped were Aleema Khan, Dr Uzma, Noreen Khan, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Salman Akram Raja and Sheikh Waqas Akram. Khan’s sisters were halted at the Factory checkpoint; other leaders were held back at Dahgal.
'If anything happens to me...'
Earlier, Khan had said that if anything were to happen to him in custody, army chief General Asim Munir should be held responsible.
“In recent days, the harsh treatment I face in jail has intensified. The same applies to my wife, Bushra Bibi. Even the television in her cell has been switched off. All basic rights — both human and those legally granted to prisoners — have been suspended for both of us,” he said as quoted by PTI.
“Therefore, I give clear instructions to my party — if anything happens to me in jail, Asim Munir must be held accountable.”
“I am prepared to spend my entire life in prison, but there is no question of bowing before tyranny and oppression,” he added.
How the Imran Khan–Asim Munir relationship turned sour
The rupture between Imran Khan and Feild Marshal Asim Munir has long been one of Pakistan’s most consequential power feuds. In 2019, just eight months into his tenure as head of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Munir was abruptly removed by Prime Minister Imran Khan. The move shocked Pakistan’s military and political establishment.
Rumours soon spread that Munir had presented Khan with evidence implicating Bushra Bibi, Khan’s wife, in alleged corruption and interference in state affairs.
Khan denied the accusation and framed the episode as a personal vendetta, claiming Munir was pursuing a “vindictive campaign” against his wife. Yet his dismissal set in motion a quiet power struggle that would eventually reshape Pakistan’s future.
The clash only intensified after Munir took over as army chief. Khan began publicly naming him as the “most oppressive dictator” in Pakistan’s history, accusing him of orchestrating a political crackdown, torturing him and his wife in custody and seeking an “illegitimate” extension of military rule.
PTI has repeatedly accused the military establishment of arrests, intimidation of candidates and attempts to sideline the party after the May 2023 protests. The military denies these claims, saying individuals involved in attacks on security installations will face the law.
General Asim Munir was promoted to Pakistan's highest military rank - Field Marshal - by Pakistan's federal cabinet, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. This decision followed India’s retaliatory strikes on the intervening night of May 10 and 11, which caused severe damage to Pakistan’s key airbases and defence sites. A shattered Pakistan reached out to India through its DGMO, urging a ceasefire.
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