ISLAMABAD: The upper house of Parliament descended into pandemonium on Friday after a resolution expressing concern over the health of incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan and demanding that he be shifted to a hospital for medical examination was rejected through a voice vote.
The development came a day after Barrister Salman Safdar submitted a report in the Supreme Court, which stated that the former premier had only 15 per cent vision in his right eye due to a delay in imparting treatment.
The resolution, a copy of which is available with Dawn, was moved by PTI Senator Aon Abbas Buppi. It demanded that the ex-premier be moved to a “premier, high‑standard hospital for comprehensive medical examination and treatment”.
It also demanded that Imran’s personal physicians and private medical team be granted immediate and regular access to evaluate his health and oversee his clinical care.
It also sought to ensure Imran’s family had consistent access to him and was kept fully informed of his medical status and treatment progress.
However, the resolution was rejected through a voice vote. The opposition demanded a vote count but that request was also rejected by the presiding officer, Shahadat Awan.
Subsequently, opposition lawmakers gathered in front of the chairman’s podium in protest and chanted slogans against the government for what they called the inhumane treatment of a high-profile prisoner.
During the session, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah claimed that the PTI founding chairman complained for the first time about an eye issue in the first week of January, contrary to the claim of PTI that their founder had been complaining about this for the past four months.
He emphasised that medical treatment was provided promptly, without any delay. He further noted that the treatment administered was properly documented. Sanaullah advised PTI not to do politics on the health of its founding chairman.
“Jail doctors examine the PTI founding chairman every second day as part of routine medical care,” he asserted. He said separate medical boards had reviewed his health condition 25 times.
Sanaullah said there was no reference to his eye ailment in the medical board held on December 9, 2025.
He further said that the counsels met the PTI founding chairman on December 20 on the occasion of the Toshakhana-II Case verdict and at that time, he did not refer to the eye ailment. He pointed out that PTI lawyer Safdar was also present on the occasion.
“If the PTI has any suggestions regarding the medical care of its founding chairman, it should approach the Supreme Court of Pakistan,” the PML-N leader said, assuring that any directions issued by the apex court would be fully implemented.
Sanaullah said the report submitted to the Supreme Court clearly established that the PTI founding chairman himself was satisfied with the living conditions in the prison.
Senate opposition leader, Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, noted that the PTI founder’s health issue should be viewed on humanitarian grounds.
“Let’s go together and meet him. We will go see him and report back to the Senate. Let people meet him, things will normalise,” he remarked.
Abbas called for burying dirty politics and said new traditions should be set. He insisted that criminal negligence had been committed while treating Imran.
He asserted that the doctor who examined the PTI founder was not a retina specialist.
However, PTI Senator Ali Zafar, who is also the party’s parliamentary leader in the Senate, said, “Enough is enough.”
He said that at first, illegal and false cases were instituted against Imran, lamenting that the situation had now escalated beyond legal proceedings to deliberately endangering the PTI founder’s physical health.
Citing the report submitted by Safdar in the court on Thursday, he said Imran had first complained about an eye problem three months ago.
Despite repeated complaints and the worsening of his condition, the prison superintendent failed to ensure proper medical treatment and merely provided ordinary over-the-counter eye drops, Zafar said.
“Even when his condition deteriorated significantly and he reportedly lost vision in one eye, he was quietly taken to a hospital and brought back without transparency or proper disclosure,” he said.
Zafar stated that such conduct amounted to gross negligence and a violation of fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution.
He referred specifically to Article 9 (the right to life and liberty), Article 14 (the inviolability of the dignity of man) and Article 25 (equality before the law and equal protection of the law).
He emphasised that the right to life included the right to proper medical care, particularly when a person was in state custody.
“When the state detains an individual, it assumes full constitutional responsibility for his life, safety, and health. Any failure in this regard is a direct breach of the Constitution,” he said.
He demanded that Imran be immediately transferred to a fully equipped hospital where qualified specialists, including his personal doctors, could examine and treat him properly.
He also demanded immediate and regular access to Imran for his family, and transparent and independent monitoring of his medical condition and care.
“This is not a political issue but a constitutional obligation. The protection of life and human dignity is a fundamental right, and the state must be held accountable for ensuring it,” he remarked.
Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl parliamentary leader Senator Kamran Murtaza said that the former prime minister’s eyesight was under threat. He endorsed the proposal that representatives from the opposition and government meet him.
Murtaza said that while injustices may have been committed in the past, they should not be committed now.
He said the options available included parole, bail, moving Imran to a hospital or declaring his house a sub-jail.
“Take the path that earns us respect in global democracies,” he said.
He said medical treatment was the constitutional right of every citizen, including the former prime minister under Article 9.
Speaking on the occasion, PTI’s Senator Dost Muhammad said he wanted to donate one of his eyes to the PTI founder. He also expressed serious concern over the health of the former premier.
