In a major development, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has lodged a formal complaint with Sky Sports after the broadcaster aired an interview with jailed World Cup-winning captain Imran Khan’s sons on Thursday. The PCB reportedly threatened to boycott the second Test between Pakistan and England, which got underway at Lord’s on Thursday, after the interview was aired during the lunch break on the opening day’s play.
Imran Khan‘s sons, Suleiman and Kasim Khan, expressed fears over their father’s health and claimed that authorities are “blatantly trying to kill him”.
The interview was conducted by former England captain and commentator Michael Atherton.
“It is not very clear what they are doing, just blatantly trying to kill him in there. Keep
him in as long as possible and silence him,” Kasim told Atherton.
“The last time he was able to speak to our aunties and anyone else, he said the conditions have severely worsened recently. He has been relating it to other political prisoners who have been killed or who have died in prison. Right now, it is worse than ever, completely isolating him more than 23 hours a day in a cell,” he added.
PCB Registers Protest
According to reports, the PCB approached Sky before the interview was aired and threatened that its players would not return for the second session if the segment was broadcast. The interview was delayed before the 18-minute segment eventually went live. However, Pakistan’s players returned to the field as scheduled.
Imran, a former Pakistan prime minister, was arrested on August 5, 2023, in a corruption case and has remained imprisoned ever since. His health has become a major concern, with his sister approaching the country’s Supreme Court earlier this month after the government admitted Khan to the state-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) for a medical procedure and other diagnostic examinations instead of Shifa Hospital, as ordered.
Uzma Khan has filed a petition claiming the government’s actions are in violation of the Supreme Court’s order directing that Khan remain admitted at the Islamabad hospital until the next hearing on September 16.
However, the government has cited security concerns as the reason it took Imran to PIMS instead of Shifa.
Protests have continued in Pakistan over Imran’s imprisonment, with his family and party colleagues alleging human rights violations and accusing authorities of restricting his access to adequate medical care, family visits and legal counsel.
