Epstein files: UN official calls Imran Khan 'London society lion'

The declassified emails released as part of the latest tranche of Epstein-related documents reveal that Western-linked figures discussed using PTI founder Imran Khan’s influence in Pakistan.

The email dates back to 2013 long before he became prime minister.

According to an English daily, the reference appears in an email dated June 2013, sent by former United Nations official Nasra Hassan to Norwegian diplomat Terje Rod-Larsen, who was serving at the time as president of the International Peace Institute.

In the message, Hassan referred to Imran Khan as a “London society lion” while outlining how Western-supported public health programmes could strengthen their reach inside Pakistan.

The email is included in documents made public by the US Department of Justice on Friday during its probe into the financial and professional network of Jeffrey Epstein.

At the time of the correspondence, Khan was an opposition leader and former international cricket star. He was better known in Western circles for his social standing and connections than for holding any government position. Hassan suggested that these links made him a more suitable channel for delicate engagement than Pakistan’s newly sworn-in prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, particularly on issues related to polio eradication.

The message was sent shortly after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf formed the provincial government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a region where polio was still widespread and vaccination drives were facing resistance.

The email also followed discussions that included Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, identified as “BG” in the correspondence, and Afghanistan’s then president, Hamid Karzai.