Indian media outlets again amplified unverified rumours that Imran Khan died in Adiala Jail, despite no evidence or named source for the claim.
Pakistan’s government denied the reports, as protests erupted outside the jail and fact-checkers traced the rumours to earlier patterns of fake news about Khan.
The incident follows repeated false death reports of public figures, highlighting how social-media-driven misinformation continues to trigger real-world reactions.
Imran Khan Declared Dead by Indian Media—Again
Rumours of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's death have again surfaced, with the Pakistan government strongly denying reports circulated by Indian media and online sources.
Summary
‘Where is Imran Khan?’ asked several Indian media outlets on Wednesday, November 25, 2025, as they published reports that the former Pakistani prime minister had died inside jail. Some media websites said the trigger was a report by an Afghanistan-based outlet that claimed Khan was killed inside Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail.
None of the media sites reporting Khan’s death named the Afghan outlet or shared a link. Despite this, the news quickly went viral online.
The viral claims come at a time when Khan’s three sisters — Noreen Niazi, Aleema Khan and Dr Uzma Khan— submitted a complaint to Punjab Inspector General of Police Usman Anwar, alleging PTI supporters had been assaulted outside the Rawalpindi jail last week.
In a letter to Punjab police chief Usman Anwar, Khan's sisters said the violence was “brutal and orchestrated and carried out by policemen without provocation."
"We peacefully protested over concerns for his health condition. We neither blocked roads nor obstructed public movement, nor engaged in any unlawful conduct. Yet, without warning or provocation, the streetlights in the area were abruptly switched off, deliberately casting the scene into darkness. What followed was a brutal and orchestrated assault by Punjab police personnel,” Noreen Niazi said.
“At the age of 71, I was seized by my hair, thrown violently to the ground, and dragged across the road, sustaining visible injuries,” she lambasted.
She said that other women present outside the jail were slapped and dragged.
"Police's conduct was part of a broader and troubling pattern of indiscriminate force used against peacefully protesting citizens over three years, reflecting a troubling impunity.
"Police's conduct was not wholly criminal, illegal, morally reprehensible, and in direct contradiction to the foundational duties of any law enforcement agency in a democratic society," she said.
Since the claims of Khan’s death went viral, it has been reported that protestors gathered outside the jail to demand clarity.
Earlier this year, in May 2025, there had been fake news of Khan being poisoned and having died in jail. At that time, a doctored press release allegedly from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan (MoFA) had circulated on social media. That note, too, was debunked by fact-checkers as fabricated, with no official confirmation from Pakistan’s government.
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At that time, a doctored press release, allegedly from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Pakistan, had circulated on social media. That note, too, was debunked by fact-checkers as fabricated, with no official confirmation from Pakistan’s government.
Fact-checking outlets have shown that several videos claiming to show violence against Khan in 2025 were old. One clip dates back to 2013, when Khan was injured in an election rally accident.
This is not the first time the media has reported a celebrity’s death based on unverified information. With the rise of social media, such incidents have become more common. Just this month, actor Dharmendra’s family criticised media outlets for declaring him dead based on rumours.
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