The sons of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan have entered the political arena, with their mother, Jemima Goldsmith, saying that the government has forced another of her sons onto social media and into politics.
Goldsmith shared a post by her son Sulaiman Khan, who raised concerns over his father’s whereabouts and alleged treatment in detention. She described the development as another instance of a son being pushed into politics by the Pakistani government.
“Another son forced onto social media and into politics by this venal Pakistani regime,” she wrote.
In his post, Sulaiman said that no one had seen or heard from his father since August, when Imran Khan explicitly stated that authorities were torturing him and attempting to kill him in the same way Egypt’s government killed former president Mohamed Morsi.
Sulaiman also referred to repeated statements by the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, although the remainder of his post was not included in the available transcription.
Journalist Talal Hussain discussed the development in his vlog, describing PTI’s current situation as a leadership crisis despite the party’s long-standing claim that it served as a platform for grooming political leaders.
“Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf was considered a nursery for creating leaders,” Hussain said, adding that Imran Khan had assessed people’s leadership qualities and rewarded them accordingly.
He said that the party now appeared to be facing a situation in which its leaders were trying to undermine one another to establish their own position, while news of new political entrants continued to emerge.
Hussain also questioned how Sulaiman would pursue politics through PTI’s platform. He raised the possibility of him remaining abroad and establishing a government-in-exile before presenting himself as Imran Khan’s political successor. He also questioned whether PTI supporters would select him through social media voting and whether he would announce a cabinet.
Alternatively, Hussain raised the possibility of Sulaiman travelling to Pakistan, leading rallies and facing arrest. He questioned how such a political arrangement would work given Sulaiman’s British citizenship and the possibility of deportation if he faced imprisonment.
The journalist also linked the development to the debate over dynastic politics in Pakistan, questioning whether Imran Khan’s son’s entry into politics would fall into the same category.
He cited the political involvement of members of the Bhutto and Sharif families, including the late Benazir Bhutto, her father Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, her brothers, sons and husband Asif Ali Zardari, as well as Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif and their children.
Hussain stated that an argument could be made that Imran Khan’s circumstances had compelled his sons to enter politics. However, he pointed out that other political families had also faced circumstances in which members of the next generation took up the political struggle.
He added that PTI’s current situation differed from a shortage of leadership, as the party appeared to have an abundance of leaders, with several figures seeking to establish themselves as its most prominent voice. He linked this competition to the infighting within the party.
