Sulaiman and Kasim Khan, sons of Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, alleged that efforts are underway to kill him in prison. They made the claims during an interview with former England captain Michael Atherton on Sky Sports during the lunch break of the second England-Pakistan Test at Lord’s.

Kasim Khan said his father was being kept alone and isolated in a small cell for more than 23 hours a day, describing the conditions as worse than before. He said the aim was to keep Imran Khan detained and silence his voice. Kasim also expressed concern about his father’s condition, saying he appeared under severe mental pressure while wearing an eye bandage.

The sons said their visa applications to visit Imran Khan had been refused by Pakistani authorities citing technical reasons. Sulaiman Khan said his father was taken for several hours to a government-run health centre rather than a private hospital, then returned to prison after government doctors declared him well following a one-hour examination. He said relatives and doctors were waiting at Shafa Hospital, but Imran Khan was not taken there.