ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif has said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s sons Qasim and Suleman Khan can come to Pakistan whenever they want. According to him, both of their National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP) cards are valid, and they do not need a visa to come to Pakistan.
Khawaja Asif said this in a statement on social media platform X on Sunday. He said that both of Imran Khan’s sons can come to Pakistan even today if they want.
According to the Defence Minister, Qasim Khan’s NICOP is valid till November 8, 2032, while Suleman Khan’s NICOP is valid till January 6, 2030. He also shared partial details of both the identity cards.
Khawaja Asif rejected claims that the government is not issuing visas to Imran Khan’s sons to come to Pakistan. He said that Pakistani citizens holding NICOPs can come to Pakistan without a visa.
The statement comes at a time when the issue of Imran Khan’s sons coming to Pakistan and meeting their father has been under discussion for several months. Qasim and Suleman live in London with their mother Jemima Goldsmith.
The two brothers last visited Pakistan in November 2022. At that time, Imran Khan was injured in an assassination attempt and his sons arrived in Pakistan to visit him.
Qasim Khan had claimed earlier this year that he had applied for a visa to come to Pakistan with his brother, but it was not processed. The family has also been maintaining that both brothers want to meet their father.
The government’s stance on the matter has been different. Government officials say that if Imran Khan’s sons have effective NICOPs, they do not need a visa. In March 2026, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar had also said that Imran Khan’s sons can come to Pakistan through NICOPs.
However, an important aspect of the matter is that permission to enter Pakistan and a meeting in Adiala Jail are two separate matters. The Ministry of Information had clarified on August 29 that permission to enter Pakistan on the basis of NCOP does not mean that a meeting in the jail will be automatically ensured. The meeting will also be subject to the rules of the jail, court orders and security procedures.
Imran Khan has been in jail since August 2023. He is serving sentences in various cases, while some other cases are also under trial. His family and the PTI have long expressed reservations about meeting and contact with him.
On the other hand, the government has in recent days denied some reports regarding Imran Khan’s isolation, meetings and medical facilities in jail. According to the Ministry of Information, there is a record of meetings and contacts between family members, lawyers and other relevant persons with Imran Khan in official records.
Thus, the main point of the current dispute now seems to be permission to meet in jail after arrival in Pakistan, rather than a visa. The government says that Qasim and Suleman can come to Pakistan on the basis of NCOOP, while they will have to go through the relevant rules and permission process to visit their father in prison.
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