News Desk (MNN); Jemima Goldsmith on Thursday accused the government of advising her sons to travel to Pakistan on National Identity Cards for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP) in order to strip them of British protection.
In a statement posted on X, Jemima responded to remarks by Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, who had said a day earlier that the sons of Imran Khan could visit Pakistan on NICOP without requiring visas, provided they follow the country’s laws.
Jemima alleged that the recommendation was intentional, claiming that travelling on NICOP — which her sons currently do not possess — would leave them without British consular protection. She further suggested that this could expose them to the risk of arrest upon arrival.
Her sons, Kasim Khan and Sulaiman Khan, reside in London and would need to travel to Pakistan to meet their father, who is currently incarcerated at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.
The controversy follows Jemima’s earlier appeal to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in which she highlighted significant delays in the processing of her sons’ visa applications. She noted that although the standard processing time is 7 to 10 working days, more than 60 days had passed without any progress.
She also pointed out that Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had publicly assured that her sons could safely travel to Pakistan to meet their father after several years. Similar assurances, she said, were given by government spokesperson Mosharraf Zaidi.
Last month, Kasim alleged that the authorities were deliberately delaying the visa process. The brothers had earlier announced in December 2025 that they planned to visit Pakistan in January after applying for visas, but subsequent reports indicated that their applications were not being approved.
In August 2025, Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan had clarified that the two had applied for both NICOP and visas, following remarks by Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry questioning the need for visas if they held NICOP cards.
The issue has sparked renewed debate over visa delays, consular rights, and the ability of Imran Khan’s family to meet him during his imprisonment.
