ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Information Minister Attaullah Tarar dismissed rumors of former prime minister Imran Khan’s death on Sunday, saying that he was “hale and hearty.”
Tarar’s response came in the backdrop of concerns raised by Khan’s sister Aleema Khanum and Noreen Niazi, who have both voiced concern at rumors spread online this week that claimed Khan had died in the central jail in Rawalpindi where he remains incarcerated.
Khan’s family has protested recently, claiming that the government is not allowing them and the former premier’s lawyers to meet him in jail. They allege he has been kept in solitary confinement in prison and is being denied basic human rights. The government and jail authorities have rejected these allegations.
“Let me assure you, he is hale and hearty,” Tarar told reporters during a press conference. “There is no problem. He runs on the treadmill for an hour daily.”
The minister alleged that Khan was a “privileged prisoner” who has been enjoying the facilities of a five-star hotel in Adiala Jail.
