ISLAMABAD: A damning investigation by The Guardian has exposed what it describes as a coordinated plot by Pakistan’s establishment to wipe out the legacy of former prime minister Imran Khan, now languishing as prisoner number 804 in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail.
The long read reveals how authorities have used imprisonment, media bans and legal maneuvers to silence the cricketer-turned-politician who remains Pakistan’s most recognisable figure.
Despite serving consecutive 14-year and 17-year sentences for corruption, Khan’s influence has only grown through cultural symbols and digital defiance.
Khan was first ousted as prime minister in April 2022 through a no-confidence vote after clashing with the military establishment over key appointments.
His arrest on May 9 2023 in the Al-Qadir Trust land deal case triggered nationwide riots that targeted military installations.
Rangers dragged him from court, sparking protests that led to dozens of deaths and injuries.
Assigned prisoner number 804 upon transfer to Adiala Jail on August 5 2023, the number quickly morphed into a nationwide symbol of resistance.
Car number plates bearing IK-804 appeared across cities, leading to arrests of TikTok users for forged plates.
A Peshawar sandal maker turned the digits into his bestseller design.
Songs dedicated to Qaidi No 804 topped charts, with Malkoo’s track becoming a viral anthem.
Crowds at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium chant “Tera yaar mera yaar Qaidi No 804” during cricket matches.
Restaurants in Leicester, Jeddah and Birmingham now serve 804 biryani, turning captivity into a badge of honour.
The Guardian details how media owners were summoned after the May 9 riots and ordered to ban Khan’s name and images from screens.
Television channels began referring to him only as “Bani PTI” while blurring his photographs.
Newspapers stopped publishing his pictures and headlines.
Even the Pakistan Cricket Board temporarily edited him out of 1992 World Cup footage before restoring it under public pressure.
By February 2024 elections, the Election Commission barred PTI’s cricket bat symbol, forcing candidates to run as independents.
Yet PTI-backed independents secured the most seats amid widespread rigging allegations.
Khan himself faces over 180 cases across Pakistan, according to court records updated as recently as February 2026.
Convictions include the 14-year Al-Qadir Trust term and a fresh 17-year sentence in the Toshakhana-II case handed down in December 2025.
Additional charges range from cypher leaks to iddat marriage violations, all contested as politically motivated.
Inside Adiala Jail, Khan occupies a 6ft by 8ft cell in an eight-cell isolation block.
Initial privileges allowed weekly family visits and access to two newspapers plus books including Nelson Mandela’s autobiography.
By July 2024 privileges were stripped: newspapers and books removed, visitors restricted to two sisters under strict supervision.
In November 2023 he vanished from public view for nearly a month, igniting #WhereIsImranKhan trends and death rumours.
His sister Uzma later confirmed he was alive but political messaging through visitors was cited as the reason for further restrictions.
Government records claim he met his sisters 137 times in 112 weeks, yet meetings remain tightly controlled.
Inter-Services Public Relations briefings have labelled him a “narcissist” and “security risk” without naming him directly.
The plot echoes Pakistan’s history of silencing popular leaders, the article notes.
Previous prime ministers faced jail, exile or mysterious deaths under similar establishment pressure.
Khan survived an assassination attempt in November 2022 during a long march, an attack he openly blamed on military elements.
His party alleges the May 9 riots were used as pretext to dismantle PTI structures.
Forty-seven PTI leaders and supporters received 10-year sentences in absentia in March 2026 for May 9 violence.
Each faces a PKR 500,000 fine and property confiscation.
Despite isolation, Khan’s digital presence endures through recycled clips and AI-generated videos.
One virtual rally posted on YouTube crossed one million views within days.
PTI’s TikTok archive alone boasts 367 million views on his first political video.
Polls conducted after his imprisonment consistently show his approval rating hovering in the 60 per cent range.
Supporters insist he would win any fresh election outright.
The Guardian argues the establishment’s strategy has backfired spectacularly.
Instead of erasing Khan, the number 804 has become shorthand for defiance across class and province lines.
Graffiti bearing the digits covers walls from Peshawar to Karachi.
Cricketer Aamer Jamal was fined for wearing a cap with 804 during a match.
Jail staff have faced detention for leaking messages from the prisoner.
Even in 2026, authorities considered transferring him from Adiala to another province to curb protests, according to recent federal statements.
Khan turned 73 in October 2024 and later reported vision loss in one eye due to untreated conditions.
He received medical treatment under heavy security at PIMS Islamabad in February 2026.
Yet his absence from public life has only amplified his mythic status.
Party leaders describe him as an 18-foot-tall figure who cannot be diminished by physical walls.
The article quotes senior PTI aide Asad Umar likening the imprisonment to elevating Khan beyond mortal politics.
No clear successor exists within PTI, which was built as an anti-dynasty movement centred on Khan alone.
Digital tools and social media ensure his voice persists even if mainstream outlets remain muzzled.
Self-censorship among journalists has deepened ahead of any future polls.
The establishment’s lumbering tactics contrast sharply with Khan’s pre-political fame.
For five decades he dominated cricket pitches, charity drives and advertising campaigns across Pakistan and India.
BBC archives hold 90 hours of his footage alone.
The plot to erase him, the Guardian concludes, underestimates the fusion of analogue legend and digital permanence.
Physical incarceration may keep him behind bars but has failed to remove him from public imagination.
Instead it has created a Sufi-like murshid figure whose ideas outlive the man.
Regional media echoes these claims with local colour.
Tribune reports highlight how Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur urged protesters to “contact prisoner 804” directly.
Dawn coverage notes judicial scrutiny of NAB’s uneven arrest policies that disproportionately target PTI figures.
Geo TV discussions frame the ongoing restrictions as part of a broader containment strategy.
International observers watch closely as Khan’s case tests Pakistan’s democratic credentials.
With over 180 cases still pending, the legal war shows no sign of ending soon.
Yet every new restriction appears to fuel fresh waves of public solidarity.
The 804 phenomenon continues to spread beyond borders through diaspora communities.
Birmingham takeaways and Jeddah eateries keep the symbol alive among overseas Pakistanis.
Back home, stadium chants and street graffiti ensure the prisoner remains Pakistan’s most discussed figure.
The Guardian’s meticulous timeline and evidence paint a picture of calculated suppression.
From media directives issued hours after the May 9 arrest to visitor logs monitored by intelligence agencies, every step appears orchestrated.
Closed-door hearings and courtroom partitions further limit public scrutiny.
Khan’s lawyers argue the cases violate basic due process.
Supporters point to historical parallels where similar tactics ultimately failed to bury popular leaders.
The article warns that such efforts risk turning Khan into an untouchable icon.
His party’s digital roar has already captured an entire generation of Gen Z voters through hashtags like #QaidiNumber804.
Public defiance shows no fatigue despite years of crackdowns.
As Pakistan grapples with economic and security challenges, Khan’s enduring appeal poses a persistent dilemma for the establishment.
The plot to erase him may have succeeded in confining the man but has spectacularly failed to silence the movement he embodies.
Prisoner number 804, far from disappearing, has become larger than life itself.