Sisters freed from jail, is a deal between Imran Khan and Asim Munir on the cards?
Only a day after two of jailed ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan's three imprisoned sisters were released from detention after being held for their involvement in a PTI-led protest march, Pakistan's Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi has dismissed speculations regarding any behind-the-scenes deal between the government and the cricketer-turned-politician to secure the latter's release.
Imran Khan, who served as Pakistan's PM from August 2018 until April 2022, has been imprisoned since August 5, 2023, following his arrest in a corruption case involving the alleged illegal sale of state gifts received during his premiership.
Since then, he has faced more than 100 legal cases, including charges relating to corruption, leaking state secrets and violence following his May 2023 arrest. He has received multiple prison sentences, including a 14-year sentence in a land corruption case in January 2025. He remains lodged in Rawalpindi's Adiala jail.
According to a report by the Karachi-based newspaper, Dawn, Naqvi, infamous for sprinting away with the Asia Cup trophy back in 2025, made the statement while addressing reporters at the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) in Lahore on Thursday, November 12.
Responding to a question about a possible deal involving Khan, founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), one of the country's three big parties and currently in the opposition, Naqvi dismissed speculation that any behind-the-scenes arrangement was being negotiated.
"Rumours have been circulating for the past day or two about what might happen and what might not. These rumours make a good story for two or three days, that's all. Whatever their [Imran Khan and his family members'] legal rights are, they will get whatever relief the courts grant them. Everything else remains unchanged," Dawn quoted the interior minister as saying.
Naqvi's shooting down of speculations regarding a deal with the founder of the PTI comes a day after two of Imran Khan's three sisters were released from federal custody.
According to a report in Dawn, Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi, incarcerated since September, were released on Thursday (November 12) from Lahore's Kot Lakhpat jail. The party's legal counsel, Rana Mudassar Umer, told Dawn that their release was secured after the withdrawal of their extended detention orders.
Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi, were detained on September 21, for 30 days under Section 3 of the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance, 1960, ahead of the PTI's planned September 27 protest march to Islamabad demanding Imran Khan's release.
The detention orders, issued by Lahore Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Ali Ijaz, described the two as threats to public safety and the maintenance of public order, alleging that they had participated in the May 9, 2023, protests, incited party workers to damage public and government property, and were mobilising supporters through social media and public meetings to create a law-and-order situation.
After the initial 30-day detention period expired, the Punjab government extended their detention by another 30 days. They were released on November 12 following the withdrawal of the extended detention orders, according to their lawyer. The two had spent a total of 53 days behind bars.
Crucially, however, the two were released following the withdrawal of their extended detention orders by the authorities, rather than a court order directing their release, according to Dawn. Their detention had earlier been challenged in the Lahore High Court. On October 26, the Punjab government informed the court that their detention had been extended by another 30 days, following which the court disposed of the petition.
The sisters' release also comes amid renewed attention on Khan's health and the government's handling of his medical treatment.
On the night of November 10–11, the former PM was taken from Adiala Jail to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad for an eye procedure. According to Dawn, doctors administered an intravitreal anti-VEGF injection in his right eye to treat central retinal vein occlusion, a condition affecting vision. He was discharged at around 2.30 am and returned to prison.
Imran Khan's third incarcerated sister, Aleema Khan, who was also picked up ahead of the September 27 PTI protest march, remains imprisoned.
In any case, this is not the first time that rumours have surfaced of a possible deal between the jailed former prime minister and Pakistan's civilian and military establishment.
Back in August this year, PTI spokesperson and close Khan aide Zulfikar Bukhari told Reuters that Khan would not confront Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir if released, suggesting that he could be willing to set aside personal grievances in the interest of the country. Bukhari also said Munir could extend a "healing hand", although he clarified that no direct talks were underway.
At the same time, though, the civilian government in Islamabad has been, at least in public, very much opposed to any kind of relief granted to Khan.
After the Supreme Court ordered that Khan be shifted to Islamabad's Shifa International Hospital for specialist treatment, amid concerns over deteriorating vision in his right eye in August this year, the government opposed the choice of a private facility and requested that Khan be treated at a public hospital instead. Khan was eventually taken to the state-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) rather than Shifa.
Mohsin Naqvi has shot down any suggestions of a deal between Khan and Islamabad, while stating that it was up to the judiciary, not the executive, to grant him relief. Time will tell if his words have merit or not.- Ends(Written by Shounak Sanyal)
