ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan on Tuesday slammed the government for what he described as relentless restrictions on jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, denouncing the denial of visas for his sons and the barring of his wife from seeing visitors as “inhumane treatment.” The statement follows an appeal by Khan’s former wife, Jemima Goldsmith, urging Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to issue visas for their sons, Kasim and Suleman, to meet their father in prison. Speaking at a press conference, Gohar said: “This is the third Ramazan of Imran Khan in prison, and today marks 955 days of his incarceration,” he said, adding that “the country cannot bear division and hatred” and appealing to authorities to reconsider their approach. Separately, five senior PTI leaders held in Kot Lakhpat Jail raised concerns over the country’s economic outlook, warning that rising energy costs amid the Gulf crisis could destabilise the economy. In a statement issued through the party’s central secretariat, PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi and senior leaders Dr Yasmin Rashid, Ejaz Chaudhry, Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed, and Omar Sarfraz Cheema said the macroeconomic stability achieved in the past three years – mainly through heavy financial burdens on citizens – could be lost within weeks if oil and gas prices remain high. The leaders warned that external shocks were complicating negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and making it increasingly difficult to meet the fiscal performance targets set in the current year’s budget. They said sluggish exports, low revenue collection, and rising freight and energy costs could further weaken the economy. “Pakistan produces only one barrel of oil for every ten it consumes,” the statement said. “If global prices remain around USD 100 per barrel, the import bill will rise sharply, and GDP growth will decline, widening the trade deficit and straining foreign exchange reserves.” The PTI leaders highlighted the impact on agriculture and industry, noting that rising diesel and gas prices would hit farmers during the wheat harvest and Kharif season, while lower cotton production and rising synthetic fibre costs would strain the textile sector, the country’s largest industrial employer. They added that food imports have risen over 18 percent while exports have fallen more than 34 percent in the first eight months of the fiscal year. Remittances, a vital source of financial stability, could also be affected by instability in Gulf states, which employ over 5 million Pakistani workers. The statement criticised the government’s fiscal priorities, arguing that luxury spending by officials undermines the message of fiscal discipline and hinders investment. PTI leaders called for immediate reforms, improved governance, and enhanced security to attract foreign investment, including from China and Gulf states. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026