Unverified rumors claiming the death of former Prime Minister Imran Khan have surged across social media platforms, igniting widespread speculation and protests outside Adiala Jail, where the 72-year-old cricketer-turned-politician has been detained since August 2023. The frenzy erupted on November 26, 2025, following a report from the Afghanistan Times alleging that Khan had been "mysteriously killed" due to mistreatment in custody, with his body purportedly removed from the facility.

This claim, echoed by a self-proclaimed Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Balochistan on X, accused Pakistan's Army Chief, General Asim Munir, and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of orchestrating the assassination. Pakistani officials swiftly dismissed the story as baseless propaganda, comparing it to debunked rumors from May 2025 that falsely claimed Khan had been poisoned. Adiala Jail authorities confirmed on November 27 that Khan remains in good health and under their custody, urging the public to disregard the misinformation.

The rumors gained traction amid escalating tensions over restricted access to Khan, who faces multiple corruption convictions that his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party deems politically motivated. His three sisters—Noreen Niazi, Aleema Khan, and Dr. Uzma Khan—alleged they were "brutally assaulted" by police on November 25 while peacefully protesting outside the jail to demand a meeting, which has been denied for over a month despite court orders. Aleema Khan described the facility as a "death cell" typically reserved for terrorists, claiming Khan is held in solitary confinement without access to books, essentials, or lawyers.

The sisters filed a formal complaint with Punjab's Inspector General, calling for an impartial probe into the alleged brutality, which they said involved officers dragging and beating them after streetlights were switched off. Even Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi was reportedly barred from seven consecutive visit attempts, citing interference from military-linked jail officials. Viral images and videos purporting to show Khan's body or hospitalization have been identified as recycled from past incidents, including a 2013 stage fall and a 2022 attack.

Khan's supporters mobilized rapidly in response, with thousands of PTI workers storming the jail's perimeter in Rawalpindi on November 26, leading to violent clashes and a prolonged sit-in at the Gorakhpur checkpost. The demonstration, live-streamed on social media, highlighted fears of a cover-up and demands for transparency, with hashtags like #ImranKhan trending globally as users shared unverified posts alleging a conspiracy to silence the opposition leader.

Indian media outlets amplified the story without initial verification, framing it as a "developing" crisis and questioning Khan's whereabouts, which PTI critics labelled as coordinated disinformation from Afghan handles to incite unrest. Fact-checking efforts by international platforms, including Moneycontrol and ABP Live, have since exposed the claims as part of a recurring pattern of fake news aimed at eroding public trust in Pakistan's institutions. The sit-in dispersed peacefully after police negotiations assured family meetings on November 27 and December 2, per ARY News reports.

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As of November 27, 2025, no credible evidence supports the death rumors, with Khan's legal team and PTI leadership reiterating that the narrative serves only to sow chaos ahead of potential political shifts in Pakistan. The episode underscores ongoing concerns over Khan's detention conditions and the government's informal ban on visits, which PTI frames as an assault on democratic rights.

While social media continues to buzz with speculation—drawing parallels to historical suppressions of opposition figures—the official stance remains firm: Khan is alive and enduring what supporters call a "law of the jungle" in custody. International observers, including human rights groups, have called for independent monitoring of high-profile detainees to prevent such volatility, emphasizing the need for verifiable information in an era of rapid digital amplification.

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