Imran Khan's PTI hits Pakistan streets for his release: Why ex-PM's sons are out of picture | A case of lost and expired cards

File Photo - Supporters of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan hold his posters during a gathering by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party to observe Martyrs' Day to honour those who allegedly died during last month's protest, in Peshawar on December 15, 2024. (Photo by Abdul MAJEED / AFP)

As Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) carries out a pan-Pakistan protest today demanding the release of jailed former PM and party chief Imran Khan, his two sons -- Qasim and Sulaiman -- are missing from the campaign. Reports suggest that the reason is a major lapse on their part.

Both Qasim and Sulaiman were holders of Pakistan’s National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP), but according to Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan, one of them lost the card while the other’s had expired. As a result, they are now barred from participating in any political activity or protest inside Pakistan.

Aleema Khan revealed that both sons have reapplied for their NICOPs, but the outcome remains uncertain. “Let’s see what happens,” she said.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Minister of State for Interior, Talal Chaudhry, told reporters that he is unaware of where the two have applied for fresh cards. “If they’ve submitted applications through the embassy, the verification process will follow,” he said, adding that the matter of their visas and other legal clearances lies solely with the Pakistani diplomatic mission.

Interestingly, Talal questioned why the sons were applying for visas at all if they already had NICOPs. “If they possess valid NICOPs, there should be no need for visa applications,” he noted, hinting at possible inconsistencies.

Imran Khan, currently imprisoned in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail along with his wife Bushra Bibi on corruption charges, has called for mass protests beginning August 5 against the government of Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) plans to lead the protest campaign under the leadership of Aleema Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, and PTI’s national president, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan.

Calling it the “final battle to save democracy in Pakistan,” Khan’s party accuses the army chief of orchestrating the prolonged imprisonment of the former Prime Minister and his wife.

Last month, Khan issued a stark warning from Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, urging his party members to hold Asim Munir responsible if any harm comes to him.

In a lengthy post on X, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief alleged intensifying mistreatment of both himself and his wife, Bushra Bibi, behind bars, claiming their basic rights have been systematically stripped away.

Khan, 72, has been incarcerated since 2023 following convictions in multiple corruption cases that many observers have described as politically motivated. The former cricket star-turned-premier accused a colonel and the jail superintendent of acting directly on Munir’s instructions.