{
  "id": 4451587,
  "title": "'They can come to Pakistan today': Khawaja Asif disputes claim of Imran's sons of expired Nicops",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/30/they-can-come-to-pakistan-today-khawaja-asif-disputes-claim-of-imrans-4451587",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-30T15:30:06.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn",
    "slug": "dawn",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2026174/they-can-come-to-pakistan-today-khawaja-asif-disputes-claim-of-imrans-sons-of-expired-nicops"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Defence Minister Khawaja Asif affirmed on Sunday that Imran Khan's sons, Qasim and Sulaiman Khan, could visit Pakistan \"today if they wished\", emphasizing the validity of their National Identity Cards for Overseas Pakistanis (Nicops). The government's policy consistently permits entry based on Nicops without requiring a visa. However, the sons had previously stated that their Nicops were expired and accused the government of blocking their visa applications. Asif clarified that Kasim's Nicop was valid until November 8, 2032, while Sulaiman's would remain valid until January 6, 2030. He dismissed accusations of visa denial as \"incorrect\" and accused Imran Khan's family and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of fabricating the narrative. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had previously noted that Imran's sons could enter Pakistan via their Nicops, but their access to the country might not include visitation rights to prisons. Kasim and Sulaiman reside in London with their mother and Imran Khan's ex-wife, Jemima Goldsmith. They would need to travel to Pakistan to meet Imran Khan, who is incarcerated at Adiala jail. In December 2025, Kasim disclosed that he and his brother had applied for visas, but in February, Kasim alleged the government's deliberate refusal to process their applications. Goldsmith subsequently made a direct appeal to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for her sons' visas, contending that the government was recommending their travel to Pakistan on Nicops due to the lack of British protection and the possibility of arrest upon arrival. Goldsmith alleged that the government was withholding visas for her sons and denied them renewed Nicops. Imran Khan was imprisoned on August 5, 2023, following the Toshakhana case, and additionally faces a 14-year sentence in a £190 million corruption case, another Toshakhana conviction in December 2025, and pending trials in terrorism cases linked to the May 9, 2023 riots. His sons, along with Imran's party and family, have been protesting against restricted access to meetings and phone calls with Imran despite court orders mandating such interactions.",
  "summary": "Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Sunday said that PTI founder Imran Khan’s sons — Qasim and Sulaiman Khan — could visit Pakistan “today if they wished”, citing the validity of their National Identity Cards for Overseas Pakistanis (Nicop). The government has consistently maintained that Imran’s children can enter the country based on their Nicops with no visa required. However, the sons claimed…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Dawn - Pakistan",
        "title": "'They can come to Pakistan today': Khawaja Asif disputes claim of Imran's sons of expired Nicops",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/30/they-can-come-to-pakistan-today-khawaja-asif-disputes-claim-of-imrans",
        "published": "2026-08-30T15:30:06.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}