Imran Khan's Party Demands Unfettered Access After Jailed Ex-PM's Overnight Hospitalization

Islamabad, Pakistan – The political party of jailed former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has urgently demanded access to their leader following an overnight hospital visit for medical treatment. Khan, 74, was briefly transferred from Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi to Islamabad’s Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) for an eye examination, as confirmed by the government hospital on Wednesday. According to PIMS, the medical check was performed on the advice of Khan’s ophthalmologist. Khan has been undergoing treatment for central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO), a condition diagnosed after he reported a decline in his vision, which has involved a series of intravitreal injections in his right eye since January. The hospital stated that Khan received another injection during his overnight stay. PIMS reported that his vital signs were normal, he was clinically stable, and his general physical examination yielded no concerns. He was discharged around 2:30 AM (21:30 GMT on Tuesday) with instructions for ongoing care and follow-up.

Khan, a former cricket star who served as premier from 2018 to 2022, has been incarcerated since August 2023, facing multiple corruption charges that he vehemently denies, asserting they are politically motivated. The government disputes these claims. The PTI expressed significant concern on Wednesday, stating that the overnight hospital visit and subsequent return to prison raise “deeply troubling questions” regarding his health, the standard of his medical care, and the transparency surrounding his condition. The party emphasized, “A human being’s health is not a political bargaining chip. Nor can the medical treatment of a former prime minister be reduced to a procedural formality,” adding that “the state bears full responsibility for his safety and wellbeing.”

“His family, personal doctors and legal team must be given immediate and unrestricted access,” the PTI declared. Sheikh Waqas Akram, PTI information secretary, informed Al Jazeera that neither Khan’s family nor his personal doctors were notified of the hospital visit, and the party learned of the event through media reports. “No one from the family or party was there [at the hospital]; our personal physician was not there either,” he stated. During a court hearing on Tuesday, Khan’s lawyer, Salman Safdar, informed the Islamabad High Court that while Khan had reported an improvement in his eyesight, his blood pressure remained a concern. Safdar was representing Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, in an appeal against their convictions in a property case. In response, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry assured reporters that Khan was receiving necessary medical attention and his treatment was not being neglected. It is noteworthy that in August, the Supreme Court had ordered Khan’s transfer to a private hospital of his choosing in Islamabad; however, he was instead taken to PIMS and subsequently returned to jail.