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ISLAMABAD: On the second day of the opposition’s sit-in at the Parliament House, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Saturday announced that the PTI founder Imran Khan would receive further check-ups and treatment at a specialised medical facility under the supervision of eye specialists.
Subsequently, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry confirmed through X that the government had approved Imran’s transfer to hospital and formation of a medical board.The federal information minister in his post on X reported that a detailed report would also be submitted to the Supreme Court. “Conjecture, speculations and efforts to turn this into political rhetoric and mileage for vested interests may please be avoided,” he added.
The opposition alliance, TTAP (Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e Aiyeen-e Pakistan), has been staging sit-ins in KP and at the National Assembly, demanding that the jailed former premier be shifted to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad after it emerged that Imran’s right eye was left with only 15% vision “due to a delay in providing treatment”.
The demonstrations are being staged at the Parliament House, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House and the Parliament Lodges, with National Assembly Opposition leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and former CM Ali Amin Gandapur also among the protesting politicians along with other opposition lawmakers.
In a video statement from the Parliament House, PTI Secretary-General Salman Akram Raja said they had been informed that authorities had agreed to shift the ailing former prime minister to the Shifa International Hospital. “We were also told that one family member of the PTI founder will be allowed to meet him,” he added. Raja said proper medical treatment is the PTI founder’s right and should not be delayed. Separately, Aleema Khanum — Imran’s sister — also confirmed that the PTI founder spoke to his sons for “approximately 20 minutes”. Imran was extremely happy to hear the voice of his sons — Sulaiman and Kasim Khan — after such a long time, she said, quoting his sons.
Taking to her X handle, Aleema said: “We are now awaiting his urgent medical treatment at Shifa International Hospital Islamabad under the supervision of his personal doctors, where specialist doctors must make every possible effort to restore his eyesight.” She said the “intentional delay” in providing him with timely treatment has already caused damage to his eyesight. “We cannot and will not tolerate any further delay, and immediate specialist care is essential to prevent any permanent loss of vision,” Aleema added.
The latest tensions between the government and PTI follow last month’s confirmation of Imran undergoing a medical procedure on his eye at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS). The former premier was diagnosed with a serious eye condition known as central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO), a disorder that commonly affects older adults and is linked to underlying cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and heart disease. PIMS Executive Director Dr Rana Imran Sikandar later confirmed that a team of senior doctors assessed Imran’s condition before discharging him.
Sharing details of the treatment, Dr Sikandar said that Imran underwent a specialised medical procedure after doctors diagnosed a condition affecting the vision in his right eye. Dr Sikandar said the procedure was performed in a sterile operating theatre under close monitoring and was completed successfully in about 20 minutes.
Earlier, Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) expressed grave concern over the health of Imran Khan and urged the government to take immediate action for his medical check-up. In a statement issued here, Pir Muhammad Masood Chishti, Vice-Chairman of the Pakistan Bar Council, and Munir Ahmed Malik, Chairman of the Executive Committee, PBC, have expressed concern over the health of Imran Khan, which is the cause of inaction by the government, especially the jail superintendent, who has not taken the matter seriously nor addressed it to relevant authorities as well as the family members of the former prime minister.
They urged the federal government that immediate action must be taken for a medical check-up of Imran Khan and that his eye issue be examined by the best doctors, even of his own choice, and that he be provided the best possible medical treatment according to the directions of Supreme Court of Pakistan.
Similarly, the Islamabad Bar Council has also issued a statement expressing concern and put forward three key demands, including that the founder of PTI be examined by specialist doctors and that his family members and lawyers be granted access to him.
They further demanded that the PTI founder’s medical reports be shared with his lawyers and family, that constitutional rights relating to health and human dignity be safeguarded and that prison regulations be fully implemented. It emphasized that every prisoner has rights, regardless of political affiliation, and that the founder of PTI should be provided with all necessary medical facilities. The council stated that the medical care of the founder of PTI is not merely a political demand, but a constitutional and legal duty.
Also, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on his X handle confirmed Imran Khan has been given the facility to talk to his sons on the phone and considering his health, it has also been decided to shift him to hospital and form a medical board.
Taking to his X handle, the minister said, “Considering his [Imran] health, it has been decided to shift him [PTI founder] to the hospital and form a medical board.” He said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN)-led government prioritises humanitarianism and legal requirements, adding that it is the government’s responsibility to provide facilities to every prisoner as per the law. “There should be no politics on sensitive issues like health,” he said, urging the PTI to avoid baseless propaganda or political point-scoring over Imran’s health. The government is fulfilling its responsibilities, the minister added.
The PTI expressed concern over speculation suggesting a plan to secretly shift the jailed founder Imran Khan to a hospital for treatment without taking his family into confidence. “Such an act is a blatant violation of both fundamental human rights and prevailing legal requirements. The party’s stance in this regard is clear: transferring Imran Khan to any location without informing his family and physicians, or commencing any medical examination or treatment in their absence, is a grave violation of the Constitution of Pakistan and jail rules. This will not be acceptable under any circumstances,” it said in a statement issued here.
The party underlined it is essential that this process be conducted independently under the supervision of reputable doctors and hospitals recommended by the party;
Meanwhile, Imran Khan has moved the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking suspension of the sentence awarded in the Toshakhana-2 case and his release on bail on medical and humanitarian grounds. Filed through Barrister Salman Safdar and Salman Akram Raja, the 73-year-old incarcerated PTI founder requested the court to suspend the sentence and grant bail. The counsel maintained that the PTI founder’s right eye has been severely damaged due to a blood clot, leaving him “with only 15 per cent vision in his right eye”. “Medical complication is of such gravity and seriousness that the same cannot be treated inside the jail premises,” the application read.
