ISLAMABAD: A team of doctors examined PTI founder Imran Khan at Adiala Jail on Sunday and left the premises after around an hour, sources said, as the party rejected the inspection conducted without his family and personal physicians, terming it “malicious”.
On February 12, Imran, currently incarcerated at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, claimed that his right eye had only 15 per cent vision remaining, following which the Supreme Court (SC) ordered the formation of a medical team to examine him. The SC also directed that Imran be allowed to speak to his children. It was ordered that both the eye inspection and the phone calls be conducted before February 16 (Monday).
Although government figures on Saturday had hinted that Imran would soon be taken to a hospital, no such development had occurred till Sunday afternoon.
At 3:45pm, however, Imran’s sister Noreen Khanum said on X that an “ambulance has reached Adiala jail to move Khan sahib to a hospital”.
“But, this is unacceptable to us without us and Khan sahib’s personal doctors being taken into confidence,” she added.
According to sources, Adiala’s jail superintendent, however, dismissed the development as a “rumour”, saying that Imran was only being examined and not being taken anywhere yet.
“The medical team will examine Imran’s eyes, conduct different tests, and decide whether there is a requirement to move him to a hospital or if he can be retained in jail and continue the treatment here,” the jail superintendent was quoted as saying by the sources.
At about 5:30pm, sources said that the eye examination, carried out by a team of five doctors, was completed. “A detailed eye examination and blood sampling were carried out, while his blood pressure was also checked,” they said.
“Senior doctors continued the medical examination for an hour,” they said, adding that the medical team was able to start the examination after waiting for two-and-a-half hours.
They said that the team brought eye examination equipment with them and that their report is “likely to be compiled soon”.
Imran underwent a medical procedure at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) in Islamabad on the night of January 24 — a development confirmed days later amid an apparent lack of knowledge by the family.
On the other hand, shortly after the eye examination was completed, the PTI refused to accept the inspection, saying that without the presence of the PTI family and Imran’s personal doctors, the government’s stance was “deemed malicious”.
“Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf categorically rejects the recent conduct of the government and jail administration regarding the medical examination of former prime minister Imran Khan’s eye in Adiala Jail. The government’s claim that a message was sent to the party leadership to arrive at the jail at the time of the examination is, in fact, a crude attempt to divert attention from the core issue,” the PTI said in a post on X.
“This matter was never about the presence or absence of the party leadership. In such sensitive and delicate medical matters, the constitutional, moral, and legal right to make decisions belongs to Imran Khan’s family.
“And the family cannot make an informed decision until Imran Khan’s personal doctors are present during the examination. Therefore, inviting the party leadership symbolically has neither any moral rationale nor any legal justification.”
Aleema demands Imran’s treatment as per personal doctors’ advice
Earlier in the day, Imran’s sister Aleema Khanum said the party would not accept any medical board formed without the approval of the PTI founder’s personal doctors.
Aleema referred to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry’s post from Saturday, which announced that a medical board would be set up. She added, “Secondly, we are hearing in the news that Imran Khan is to be taken to Al Shifa Eye Hospital in Rawalpindi.
“Our demand has been clear from the beginning. Imran Khan shall not be given any treatment WITHOUT the presence and approval of his personal doctors and family members.”
The former prime minister’s sister affirmed: “We do NOT accept any medical board they set up and control! We do NOT accept any reports or results they manufacture.”
She added that the family was “extremely worried as to why they are resisting the selection of specialists advised” by Imran’s personal doctors.
“Why are they rejecting the supervision by Imran Khan’s personal doctors? Why are they rejecting the presence of Imran Khan’s family members? Why such fierce resistance? Are they hiding something?” Aleema wondered.
Earlier on Sunday, Imran’s longtime personal physicians, Dr Aasim Yusuf and Dr Faisal Sultan, issued a joint video statement, reiterating that the ex-premier needed a comprehensive medical check-up that could be provided at Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad.
“In addition to urgent retina specialist care for his central retinal vein occlusion and severe vision loss, Imran Khan needs a full multidisciplinary evaluation of his underlying conditions at a tertiary hospital like Shifa International Islamabad,” read the post accompanying their statement.
‘Will continue sit-in to pressure govt’
Meanwhile, the sit-in by the main opposition alliance Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayin-i-Pakistan (TTAP) at Parliament House over concerns regarding Imran’s health entered its third day on Sunday.
The alliance had announced staging the sit-in until the ex-premier was taken to a hospital of his personal doctors’ choice.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday afternoon, PTI MNA Asad Qaiser said that his party, along with the opposition alliance, will continue the sit-in to pressure the government so that Imran can be taken to a hospital.
“We will not compromise on Imran’s health,” he said.
Earlier in the day, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan shared visuals of himself, TTAP Chairman Mehmood Khan Achakzai, Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, Qaiser and Senator Faisal Javed, among others, sitting at Parliament House.
A TTAP leader, wishing not to be named, told Dawn that things have become more confusing rather than being streamlined.
“Last night we were informed that Imran Khan will be shifted to Shifa International Hospital [in Islamabad], but a demand was made that doctors in the medical board be changed, as including doctors of our choice will give a message that the government has gone on the back foot.
“[Therefore,] we decided to show flexibility and gave names of a few more doctors, and there was an understanding that we will not reveal their names in the media,” the TTAP leader said.
He added: “However, today we have been getting messages that first we should call off the sit-in and then Imran Khan will be shifted to the hospital and a medical board will be announced. How can we call off the sit-in without implementation of our demands?” he asked.
Replying to a question, the leader said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi — who is staging a sit-in at KP House in the capital — also contacted government representatives to make it clear that the situation could go out of his control if the issue was not resolved soon.
He added that the government representatives told them that the interior minister was in Sri Lanka, while the National Assembly and Senate chairs were also abroad, making it “difficult to decide” for the authorities.
In a statement, TTAP said today was the “third consecutive day that access to food, water, and medicines has been blocked for the protesters encamped inside Parliament House”.
“This action is not only inhumane but a blatant violation of fundamental democratic and constitutional values,” it added.
The alliance further alleged that access to medicines was blocked for Senator Abbas, terming it an “extreme and condemnable act”.
“Prioritising any political disagreement over human compassion and medical needs is the worst form of oppression,” the statement read.
The TTAP stated that its leadership was firm on its demands, adding: “History bears witness that yazidi (tyrannical) tricks, sieges and oppression have never suppressed movements, nor forced those standing firm on the right side to back down from their demands. Such tactics only add to the record of cruelty; they cannot silence the voice of truth.”
The TTAP reiterated its “clear demand” that Imran be provided full medical facilities at Islamabad’s Al-Shifa International Hospital, emphasising that providing quality medical facilities to a prisoner was the state’s responsibility, “not a favour”.
The alliance vowed that it would not be “cowed by tactics of oppression, coercion and siege”.
TTAP Spokesperson Akhunzada Hussain Yousafzai told Dawn that it has been decided to continue the sit-in till the fulfilment of the demands.
He termed it unfortunate that the police were allegedly not allowing breakfast to be delivered inside Parliament House for the opposition leaders.
“There are a number of leaders who have diabetes, and it becomes difficult for them to maintain their sugar levels. I fear that some may faint,” he said.
He wondered why the government was not showing flexibility and taking confidence-building measures if it was serious.
HRCP calls for ‘uninterrupted access’ to treatment
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed “grave concern over reports regarding the deteriorating health of prisoners affiliated with the PTI, particularly” Imran and former Punjab health minister Yasmin Rashid.
In a statement, the HRCP urged the interior ministry, the Punjab Home Department and the relevant prison authorities to ensure that “all such inmates are allowed immediate, independent medical examinations and uninterrupted access to prescribed treatment”.
“Their condition must be verified with transparency,” the rights body stressed.
It pointed out: “Denial or delay of adequate healthcare to any detainee violates legal and constitutional guarantees, including under the Prison Rules, as well as Pakistan’s human rights obligations.”
Awaam Pakistan leader Dr Zafar Mirza, noting the government’s assurances and the development of Imran speaking to his sons on phone, said: “The last two days have proven the power of non-violent peaceful protest, as it has before many times in human history.
“Decision to let Imran Khan speak with his sons, move him to hospital, establishment of a medical board, all this has not happened in a vacuum and for nothing.”
However, Dr Mirza stressed that the former premier “still needs access to a personal physician, family, and his cases also need to be heard without politically motivated delays”.
“Awaam Pakistan is fully supporting the dharna (sit-in) as we are standing with the moral principle of human right to health care, and we are standing on the right side of history,” he affirmed.
