Archive · 14 Aug 2026
Imran Khan's Prison Number 804 Becomes Symbol of Enduring Appeal
Imran Khan used to be the prime minister of Pakistan, which means he was the leader of the whole country.
About three years ago, he was put in prison after a court said he broke the rules by keeping and selling special gifts he got while he was in office.
Even though he is in jail, lots of people in Pakistan still love him and want him to be free.
In prison, he was given the number 804, like a label.
His fans started putting 804 everywhere — on t-shirts, cups, cakes, perfume bottles and even kites.
They also sing rhymes about prisoner number 804 at cricket matches.
The government tried to stop him from being on television, so his pictures and speeches were no longer shown.
Instead, his supporters used phones and the internet to keep his memory alive with memes and online chats.
But his family says it is hard to talk to him, and they cannot easily visit him.
Many people hope he will be let out one day, but right now his freedom seems far away.
Imran Khan has spent three years in prison since his 2023 conviction for selling state gifts, yet his symbolic appeal has only grown.
On the third anniversary of his imprisonment, a woman held a solo portrait vigil at the Karachi Press Club, and more than 100 supporters were arrested at rallies across Pakistan.
His prison number 804 spread through memes, merchandise, fragrances, restaurant names, cakes and cricket chants.
PEMRA asked electronic media to stop airing "hate-mongers, perpetrators and their facilitators," and Khan's speeches and photos vanished from television.
Khan's sons in the United Kingdom say months have passed since their last phone call, with administrative hurdles blocking visits and limited access to doctors, lawyers and family.
- Who
- Imran Khan, former prime minister of Pakistan and leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, along with his supporters and sons.
- What
- Khan has remained in prison for three years since his 2023 conviction, while his prison number 804 became a widespread cultural symbol of support during anniversary rallies.
- When
- The third anniversary of his imprisonment fell in early August 2026; he was first arrested on May 9, 2023, and has been jailed since August 2023.
- Where
- Pakistan — with the conviction in Islamabad, the arrest in Lahore, and a solo protest at the Karachi Press Club.
- Why
- He was convicted by an Islamabad trial court for selling state gifts received while in office and has since been held over a series of cases; supporters believe the aim is to make him politically irrelevant.
Imran Khan's supporters
Pakistan's establishment and state institutions
Imprisonment of Imran Khan
Imran Khan's supporters
Supporters see the conviction and continued detention as a political campaign to push their leader into irrelevance, and they keep demanding his release.
Pakistan's establishment and state institutions
State institutions treat the imprisonment as legal accountability — Khan was convicted for selling state gifts and faces a series of cases.
Media restrictions
Imran Khan's supporters
Citizens see the television blackout and online surveillance as Orwellian censorship that removed Khan's speeches and photos from the airwaves.
Pakistan's establishment and state institutions
Authorities frame the restrictions as necessary, asking media to stop giving airtime to "hate-mongers, perpetrators and their facilitators" after riots broke out.
- Prison number
- 804
- Imprisonment
- Three years (since 2023)
- First arrest
- May 9, 2023, triggering riots across the country
- Conviction
- Selling state gifts while in office, by an Islamabad trial court
- Supporters arrested
- More than 100 at third-anniversary rallies (August 2026)
- Political party
- Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)
- Ruling coalition
- Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz with the Pakistan Peoples Party (since the 2024 elections)
- Media regulator
- PEMRA asked electronic media to stop airing "hate-mongers, perpetrators and their facilitators"