• PTI founder’s ex-wife responds to information minister’s suggestion Kasim and Suleiman use Nicops to travel
• TTAP criticises government for ‘making former PM’s health controversial’

ISLAMABAD: PTI founder Imran Khan’s ex-wife Jemima Goldsmith believes the government wanted the former PM’s sons travel to Pakistan on their National Identity Cards for Overseas Pakistanis (Nicop) so they would have “no British protection”.

Responding to a statement by Infor­mation Minister Atta Tarar, who said on Wednesday that Mr Khan’s sons were welcome to use their Nicop to visit Pakistan — for which no visa was required — provided they “fully comply with the laws of Pakistan during their stay”.

“We all know that the reason you are refusing their visas and recommending they travel on Nicop cards [which they do not have presently] is because that way they will have no British protection if you choose to arrest them on arrival,” Jemima said on X.

Mr Tarar’s suggestion came after Jemima appealed to PM Shehbaz Sharif to allow Sulaiman and Kasim Khan to meet their father. She maintained that the two had not been allowed to speak to their father over the phone, nor send him a letter, and had not seen him since 2022.

However, Mr Tarar has already said that a phone call between Mr Khan and his children would be arranged over Eid, in keeping with past practice.

Leaders of the Tehreek-i-Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) also weighed in on the issue, with ex-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa finance minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra telling a presser that discussions regarding visas for the PTI founder’s sons had been ongoing since August last year, alleging that the government was deliberately denying them.

Imran’s health

The opposition alliance also criticised the government for making Mr Khan’s health “controversial”.

Flanked by TTAP leaders Hussain Ahmad Yousafzai and Khalid Chaudhry, Mr Jhagra said the only viable solution would be to immediately shift the PTI founder to Shifa International Hospital and ensure his family members and personal physicians had access to him.

He highlighted that former premier Nawaz Sharif was provided medical treatment while he was in jail and that the public was informed about it. He urged the government to ensure similar transparency in Mr Khan’s case.

Fuel prices, Afghan conflict

Mr Jhagra also maintained that the consequences of the government’s lack of reforms were evident in the shape of rising fuel prices.

He accused the government of increasing petrol prices prematurely to benefit companies to the tune of Rs20 billion.

“Why has Pakistan failed to maintain strategic reserves like countries such as Russia and China?” he questioned, adding that government policies had put the national economy at risk.

He also criticised government spending, citing the Punjab government’s aircraft and the Senate chairman’s vehicle acquisitions as examples that contradicted claims of austerity.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Yousafzai said that the opposition had offered cooperation to the government on the Afghanistan issue and had called for a joint session of parliament, which was not convened.

He welcomed the pause in Operation Ghazab lil-Haq against the Afghan Taliban but stressed that it should be made permanent rather than temporary.

Ikram Junaidi in Islamabad also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, March 20th, 2026