RAWALPINDI: Aleema Khan, the sister of incarcerated former prime minister Imran Khan, on Tuesday appealed for his immediate transfer to the Shifa International Hospital, citing a critical deterioration in his vision.
Speaking to the media near the Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, she alleged that persistent delays in providing specialised medical care have resulted in nearly 85 per cent damage to Imran’s eyesight. According to her, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder informed his counsel, Salman Safdar, that his vision has become so severely blurred that he was unable to read books. Noting marginal improvement after an initial injection, she claimed medical staff at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) had privately indicated that the damage could be permanent. She stressed the need for a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation at a specialised facility, arguing that the underlying cause cannot be determined during the brief 20-minute hospital visits currently permitted.
She alleged that her brother is being held in solitary confinement without adequate medical facilities. She criticised the process under which he is transported to Pims only for injections and then returned immediately to his cell, bypassing long-term testing. She expressed concern over the alleged disappearance of a formal request filed by her sister to register a case against a former jail superintendent.
She also questioned the broader political climate, including the legitimacy of the current administration and credibility of peace negotiations while her brother remains imprisoned. She said she would continue advocating his rights despite being named in an FIR and briefly detained near the prison.
Supporting these claims, Imran Khan’s spokesperson Niazullah Niazi reiterated demands for transparent medical treatment and expanded family access. He said Salman Safdar observed a slight 10-15 per cent improvement in the PTI founder’s ocular health during their latest meeting but warned the situation remains serious. He highlighted the legal challenges facing the former prime minister who is involved in approximately 180 cases and emphasised that peaceful protest within constitutional limits remains the party’s primary course of action until his legal and medical rights are ensured.
Meanwhile, Aleema Khan, along with her sisters, staged a sit-in near the Adiala jail after authorities denied them a meeting with PTI founder Imran Khan. Accompanied by Dr. Uzma Khan, Noreen Khan, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and advocate Niazullah Niazi, the group arrived at Adiala Road but was intercepted by police and prevented from proceeding toward the prison facility.
The protest began near the Factory Naka area once the designated visiting hours had expired. While a limited number of PTI supporters joined the sisters, law enforcement personnel moved in to detain several activists present at the scene. According to sources, these arrests were made in connection with a First Information Report (FIR) registered last Tuesday. More than a dozen workers were reportedly bundled into a police van and shifted from Adiala Road to an undisclosed location.
The demonstration caused a temporary standoff in the vicinity of the jail, with the sisters remaining on-site for several hours to protest the restrictions on meeting their brother. The sit-in eventually concluded at approximately 9:30pm, after which Aleema Khan and her sisters departed.
