ISLAMABAD: Amid reports that PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan is suffering from a serious eye condition that could permanently damage his eyesight, the opposition on Wednesday demanded that an immediate meeting be arranged between him and his family and that full details of his medical treatment be disclosed.
The demand follows PTI claims that Imran was taken to a hospital under strict security over the weekend for medical treatment and later returned to jail without his family or party leadership being informed. A day earlier, the party said it had received credible information that the former premier was suffering from an ailment which, if left untreated, could result in permanent vision loss.
According to a senior doctor at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Imran was brought to the hospital late Saturday night for a medical procedure that took considerable time. However, another doctor denied the development, saying it was better not to comment as the PTI would “make an issue” out of it.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan said Imran was allegedly taken to the hospital over the weekend and then shifted back to jail without any formal intimation to his family.
“This situation is distressing for the nation, the party and the family,” Gohar said. “The family should have been taken on board before moving him for medical treatment. Even today, we have not been informed what disease he was treated for, which doctor examined him, or why he was taken back to jail.”
He said denying meetings with the PTI founder was further deepening public concern and anxiety. “A meeting with the family is extremely important. If not today, then tomorrow, a meeting must be arranged between Khan sahib and his family, and his health details should be shared. This is our demand,” he said.
Gohar also criticised the government, saying it was trying to consolidate power through legal changes while losing public trust. He urged authorities not to deny meetings with Imran “under any circumstances” until February 8, warning that the situation was eroding the government’s credibility.
Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, speaking alongside Gohar, termed Imran Khan “the most popular leader in Pakistan” and said the treatment being meted out to a former prime minister was unjust.
“This is an injustice, and one day they will have to answer for it,” Abbas said, adding that the political crisis would have ended had the results of the February 8, 2024 general election been accepted. He also called on the public to join the opposition’s nationwide protest planned for February 8.
Meanwhile, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja said the continued isolation of Imran Khan and his spouse, Bushra Bibi, in jail was “unacceptable”. He said Bushra Bibi was last allowed to meet her daughter on November 4, while Imran’s personal physician had also been denied access.
Raja said PTI lawmakers had approached the Islamabad High Court seeking permission to meet Imran, but the petitions were not admitted for regular hearing. “We raised serious concerns regarding reports about Imran Khan’s health and requested that his personal doctors be allowed to examine him immediately, but we were told the petitions did not qualify for a hearing,” he said.
Describing the situation as “bordering on barbarism”, Raja said the party had also approached the chief justice to use administrative powers to ensure a meeting. He reiterated demands for an end to the couple’s solitary confinement and immediate access to proper medical care.
Separately, senior PTI leaders imprisoned at Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail called on the government to ensure proper medical treatment for Imran Khan, warning that his condition could lead to permanent vision loss.
In an open letter addressed to the chief justice of Pakistan, PTI leaders Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Ejaz Chaudhry, Omar Sarfraz Cheema and Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed said Imran was suffering from an eye infection that had resulted in central retinal vein occlusion — a serious condition that could cause irreversible damage if not treated promptly.
“This condition is extremely serious and may result in permanent loss of vision if not managed properly,” the letter said, urging authorities to allow Imran to be admitted to a hospital of his choice and ensure immediate treatment.
Calling the denial of adequate medical care “shameful”, the leaders appealed to the chief justice to personally intervene and ensure that the recommended treatment was administered without delay. “The action taken in this case should be visible to the people of Pakistan,” they added.
