On Saturday, Aleema Khan, the sister of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, announced that his sons, Kasim Khan and Sulaiman Khan, have applied for a National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP). This card, which is issued to Pakistani citizens living abroad, allows for visa-free entry into the country. “The PTI founder’s sons have applied for NICOP and a visa,” Aleema told the media, clarifying that although they had previously possessed NICOPs, the cards had since been lost.
Aleema’s statement comes a day after Minister of State Talal Chaudhry challenged her earlier claims that the brothers were awaiting visas. Chaudhry questioned why they would need visas if, as she had previously asserted, they already had NICOPs. The possibility of Sulaiman and Kasim visiting Pakistan to see their father has been a subject of recent media speculation. Reports had surfaced suggesting that Khan had barred his sons from traveling to Pakistan or participating in political activities. However, the party quickly refuted these claims, stating that there was no doubt Sulaiman, 28, and Kasim, 26, would visit their father.
Imran Khan, a 71-year-old former cricketer turned politician, has been incarcerated since August 2023. His imprisonment followed his removal from power in April 2022 via a no-confidence motion, after which he was charged in multiple cases ranging from corruption to terrorism. Addressing the visa issue further, Aleema stated that despite embassy officials claiming they had no record of an application, she had the tracking number for it.
She added that a friend of hers had contacted the ambassador, who said that permission was required from the Ministry of Interior. “I told him that whoever grants permission should get it from [Interior Minister] Mohsin Naqvi,” Aleema said. She noted that a news report yesterday claimed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would be issuing the visa, not the Ministry of Interior, and that the ambassador was no longer responding to queries. Aleema also clarified that there was no link between the PTI’s newly announced protest movement, set to culminate on August 5, and the planned visit of Sulaiman and Kasim, emphasizing that the movement must be driven by the public.
