Senate sees sharp exchange over Imran Khan’s health and jail access

ISLAMABAD: The Senate on Friday saw a heated exchange between treasury and opposition members over the health and treatment of jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, as well as broader concerns regarding access to political prisoners.

PTI Senator Azam Swati told the House that the former prime minister had “lost sight in one eye” and urged the state to ensure basic human rights for both Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi. He said, “We need to unite at this time. Inhumane treatment is never justified,” and called on the government to “change its decisions and try to improve the situation.”

Imran Khan has been imprisoned since Aug 5, 2023, for concealing details of Toshakhana gifts. He is serving a 14-year sentence at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail in the £190m case, also referred to as the Al-Qadir Trust case.

Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Allama Raja Nasir Abbas said depriving any person of their rights amounted to oppression, adding that “one who is satisfied with the oppressor’s cruelty is also an oppressor.” He said imprisoning political workers was damaging the country’s own political system.

Abbas proposed the formation of a two- to three-member Senate committee comprising both government and opposition lawmakers to visit the PTI founder and other political prisoners and present its findings to the House. He said, “Let everyone stand against whoever is stopping us from visiting jails,” and urged the Senate to set an example by refusing to accept excesses against politicians.

PTI Senator Faisal Javed said the party had no access to Adiala jail and questioned why treatment, including medical care abroad, could be arranged for Nawaz Sharif but not for the PTI founder. He demanded that PTI leaders and family members be allowed to meet Khan in prison.

Government response

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah told the Senate that both Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were receiving the best medical treatment available in the country. He said meetings in jail were being managed under a court-approved procedure.

According to Sanaullah, a larger bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had put in place a mechanism under which meetings could take place twice a week, with separate days designated for lawyers and family members. He said PTI leaders, including Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, had assured the court that such meetings would not be used for political messaging or media campaigns.

“Campaigns targeting state institutions and their heads were carried out abroad. Evidence regarding such activities can be presented whenever required,” he said.

Sanaullah said that understanding had been violated repeatedly through press conferences and international media outreach. He also said a five-member medical board, constituted on the recommendation of PTI’s own doctors, had endorsed the treatment being provided.

He further argued that the parliamentary rules of business did not allow for a Senate committee to intervene in executive matters concerning prison administration.

Reference to May 9 unrest

During his remarks, Sanaullah said that an “action” that succeeds is termed a revolution, while a failed attempt to bring about a revolution is treachery and carries consequences. He cited the violent protests of May 9 as an example.

Imran Khan’s arrest on May 9, 2023, led to widespread unrest across the country, during which government buildings and military sites, including the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, were attacked and vandalised. In the aftermath, authorities launched a crackdown on PTI, and dozens of terrorism cases were registered against party leaders and supporters.

Sanaullah said the events of May 9 amounted to attacks on national institutions and that those responsible would face consequences. He added that repeated attempts to march on Islamabad and confront the state had further worsened the political climate.

Over the past year, PTI leaders and members of Imran Khan’s family have repeatedly voiced concern about his health. The issue has remained a point of contention between the government and the opposition, with the latter accusing the former of lacking transparency, failing to ensure proper treatment, and not allowing Khan’s personal physicians to examine him. The government has rejected those allegations.

The opposition has also called for the former premier to be shifted to Shifa International Hospital.