Imran | Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The opposition decided on Monday to extend its sit-in at the Parliament House till Tuesday — one of the two court-mandated days for meeting incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan — to “see the government’s response” to their call for allowing access to the former premier. Imran’s family and associates had been barred from visiting him for several weeks until the Supreme Court’s intervention last week led to PTI lawyer Salman Safdar being allowed to visit him. Following his visit, he submitted a report to the SC, which said only 15 per cent vision was left in the PTI founder’s right eye. This prompted a strong response from opposition alliance Tehreek Tahafuz-i-Ayeen Pakistan (TTAP), which began a sit-in at the Parliament House for the fulfilment of its demands for Imran’s treatment and examination. The protest, which began on Friday, entered its fourth day today, with TTAP Spokesperson Akhunzada Hussain Ahmed Yousafzai saying that it would continue till Tuesday. He shared this information with Dawn ho...

ISLAMABAD: The federal government on Monday assured the Supreme Court (SC) that PTI founder Imran Khan had been allowed to speak to his children, adding that the medical examination of the ex-premier was also carried out by an expert team. Last week, a two-judge SC bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi had instructed the government to form a medical team to examine incarcerated PTI chief Imran Khan after a report submitted by his lawyer, Salman Safdar, revealed that the former prime minister had lost 85 per cent of the vision in his right eye. The court had also asked authorities to arrange calls between Imran and his children. On Monday, the government, through Deputy Attorney General Raja Muhammad Shafqat Abbasi, filed a fresh application in the SC. The government said it was placing on record the report prepared by the Adiala jail superintendent to highlight the SC’s earlier directions, issued on Aug 24, 2023, in exercise of powers under Article 184 of the Constitution (a provision n...

PTI founder Imran Khan — who is suffering from an eye ailment leading to loss of vision in his right eye — was examined by a team of doctors at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail on Sunday. The party had rejected the inspection conducted in the absence of his family and personal physicians, terming it “malicious”. On Monday, the law minister allayed concerns Imran’s vision loss, saying that there was “nothing as such to worry about”. Meanwhile, the doctors who examined the former premier in jail released a two-page report on Monday. According to the report, a copy of which is available with Dawn, a medical board comprising the following eye specialists examined Imran on February 15; Dr Prof Nadeem Qureshi, the head of the vitreoretinal department at the Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital in Rawalpindi, and Dr Prof Dr M Arif, the head of the opthalmology department at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) in Islamabad. The report stated that unaided, Imran’s right eye had 6/24 partial vision and 6/9 in the left. It...

Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar on Monday allayed concerns over PTI founder Imran Khan’s vision loss, saying that there was “nothing as such to worry about”. The statement comes days after the Supreme Court (SC) was informed that Imran had only 15pc vision left in his right eye, prompting the apex court to form a medical team to examine him before February 16 (today). Subsequently, a team of five doctors arrived at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail on Sunday, where the ex-premier is incarcerated, and carried out a detailed eye examination, took blood samples and checked his blood pressure. However, the PTI rejected the check-up conducted without his family and personal physicians. Addressing Bar Association Ferozewala in Punjab’s Shahdara on Monday, Tarar referred to the “latest report that had to be submitted” regarding Imran’s health. The minister added that he discussed it with Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan and the “relevant” individuals before coming to the bar association. Tarar stated: “T...

Aleema Khan, the sister of incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan, said on Saturday that the former premier spoke to his sons for approximately 20 minutes and was “extremely happy to hear their voices”. The development comes after the Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the formation of a medical team to examine Imran after a report submitted by his lawyer, Salman Safdar, revealed that the former prime minister had lost 85 per cent of the vision in his right eye. The court had also directed that he be allowed to speak to his children. In a post on X on Saturday, Aleema said, “The chief justice of Pakistan had directed that Imran Khan be allowed to speak with his sons. We can confirm that he was able to speak with them for approximately 20 minutes. “His sons shared that he was extremely happy to hear their voices after such a long time,” she said. “We are now awaiting his urgent medical treatment at Shifa International Hospital Islamabad under the supervision of his personal doctors, where specialist doctors must m...

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi have approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking suspension of their sentences in the Toshakhana-2 (Bulgari jewellery) case, citing grave medical concerns and what their counsel termed legal infirmities in the trial court verdict. Advocate Salman Akram Raja, along with Barristers Salman Safdar, Gohar Ali Khan, and Qausain Faisal Mufti, filed the petition under Section 426 read with Section 561-A of the Criminal Procedure Code 1898, praying for the release of the petitioners till the final adjudication of their criminal appeal. The Special Court Central-I judge, on December 20, 2025, convicted the couple, handing down a 10-year simple imprisonment term under Section 409 PPC (criminal breach of trust by a public servant), along with a fine of Rs16.425 million. Additionally, Imran and Bushra were sentenced to seven years’ simple imprisonment under Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1947. The petition contende...

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 treat...

The opposition alliance Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayin-i-Pakistan (TTAP) on Thursday said that it would stage a sit-in outside Parliament on Friday. The development came hours after the Supreme Court (SC) was informed that only 15 per cent vision was left in the PTI founder’s right eye, prompting a strong response from the PTI. The information was shared in a report submitted to the SC by PTI counsel Advocate Salman Safdar, who quoted the PTI founder as telling him that “he has been left with only 15pc vision in his right eye”. Videos shared by the TTAP on the social media platform X on Thursday night showed Senate opposition leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas speaking to the media alongside the PTI leadership. “After Friday prayers, we will stage a sit-in outside Parliament,” he said. “We demand that Khan sahib be given full access to doctors whom he trusts,” he said. “I am told that Imran’s personal physician, Dr Asim Yusuf, is at Shifa Hospital, as are Dr Amir Awan and Dr Mazhar Ishaq; these are the two top speciali...

The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the formation of a medical team to examine former premier Imran Khan’s eye, after a report submitted in court quoted the PTI founder as claiming that “only 15 per cent” vision was left in his right eye. 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). The instructions came as a two-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi and including Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan resumed hearing the case regarding the PTI founder’s living conditions in Adiala jail. 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. “The issue of Imran’s health is most important,” CJP Afridi observed, adding that “intervention was necessary”. “We want to know the government’s stance on the matt...

ISLAMABAD: PTI lawyer Salman Safdar on Tuesday met ex-premier Imran Khan at Adiala jail, saying that the party founder appeared fine healthwise. The meeting, which lasted nearly three hours, came after the Supreme Court earlier in the day allowed Safdar to meet Imran. Speaking to reporters outside the jail, Safdar said that Imran was fine and was looking healthy. However, he did not share further details about the meeting, saying that he had to submit a report to the court. He said once the report was submitted to the court, he would be able to share the details. SC allows lawyer to meet Imran Earlier in the day, the SC had allowed Safdar to meet Imran, declaring him amicus curiae. The development came a day after a request for an ‘urgent’ meeting — submitted by senior PTI leader Latif Khosa — was rejected by a two-member bench comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi and Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan. The bench observed that such an order could not be passed without hearing the other side. Hence...

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Saturday said PTI’s memorandum — requesting immediate jail visitation rights for party founder Imran Khan with his family, doctors, lawyers and friends — had been conveyed to the “relevant executive authorities” for appropriate consideration in accordance with law. On Friday, the party members and parliamentarians, led by PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, had submitted the memorandum to the SC registrar. The party had regretted in the memorandum to Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi that Imran’s access to his family and lawyers was again denied on Tuesday, the day fixed by the court for meetings with his relatives and counsels. In a press release issued on Saturday, the SC said that on January 30, the KP chief minister and PTI lawmakers gathered in front of the SC to convey their concerns about access to Imran. “The registrar engaged with their representatives and assured that the concerns would be brought into the notice of the chief justice,” it said. It went on to s...

ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Friday that the “detailed” medical reports of incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan had been handed over to the family. His post on the social media platform X came hours after the PTI again approached the Supreme Court (SC) seeking Imran’s medical report and visitation rights for his personal doctors and family members. In the post, the minister noted that National Assembly Opposition Leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai had written a letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif while PTI leaders had also approached the apex court “regarding medical checkup of Imran Ahmad Niazi, who is serving his sentences in Central Jail, Rawalpindi”. “On directions from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), a detailed report has been sent by the executive director of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) hospital to the superintendent of Central Jail, Rawalpindi (Adiala), which has been handed over to the family,” he said. According to the report sent by Pims Executive Directo...

ISLAMABAD: The leadership of the PTI and the Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) on Thursday unanimously announced that they would not compromise on the health of incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan, and urged the nation to join the nationwide shutter-down strike scheduled for February 8 (Sunday). The remarks were made during a meeting of the PTI’s joint parliamentary committee at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House in Islamabad. The meeting was attended by prominent political leaders, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, TTAP chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, and PTI stalwarts Asad Qaiser and Taimoor Saleem Jhagra, among others. The meeting was closed off to the media. Addressing the participants, Qaiser said that the meeting was called because of Imran’s health. He said that representatives of 40 million people were in attendance and unanimously announced that they would not compromise on the health of the PTI founder. “Don’t push us against the wall; other...

Kasim Khan, the son of incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan, said on Wednesday that the government was “deliberately” refusing to process his and his brother’s visas. In a post on X, Kasim said, “My brother and I are trying to travel to Pakistan to see our father. For 914 days, he has been held in solitary confinement while his health deteriorates and he is denied access to independent medical care. “Now the government is deliberately refusing to process our visas. Denying a prisoner treatment is cruel. Denying his children the right to see him is collective punishment,” he said. “I call on international human rights organisations and governments to speak out and act before irreversible harm is done,” he said. Kasim and his older brother Suleiman live in London with their mother, Jemima Goldsmith. The development comes as the government last week admitted that Imran was treated at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), days after reports regarding the treatment of the former premier emerged in main...

ISLAMABAD: The PTI accused police of subjecting its workers to violence and arresting them near Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail, where they were staging a sit-in on Tuesday. The IHC has allowed Imran twice-a-week meetings — on Tuesday and Thursdays — with his family, lawyers and other associates. Despite the order, the ex-premier has not been allowed any visitors for weeks, including his sisters and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi. Therefore, protests and sit-ins near the Adiala jail, where Imran has been incarcerated since September 2023, have become a usual occurrence on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On several occasions, police have also used force to disperse the protesters, who often camp at Factory Naka — a police picket near the prison. Imran’s sisters and supporters again staged a sit-in near the prison today while a PTI post on social media platform alleged that police had inflicted violence on party workers and arrested them as well. A livestream on the PTI’s YouTube channel showed one of Imran’s...

ISLAMABAD: The National Dialogue Committee (NDC) on Saturday expressed concern about the health of incarcerated PTI founder and ex-premier Imran Khan, demanding that he be allowed to meet his personal physician. The development two days after the government confirmed Imran underwent a medical procedure for an eye ailment last week at a hospital in Islamabad, drawing outrage from the PTI that claimed that neither the party nor his family were informed about the procedure. On Saturday, the NDC — set up by ex-PTI leaders, including Fawad Chaudhry, Dr Shahzad Waseem and former Sindh governor Imran Ismail — met in Islamabad. Chaudhry, Ismail, former Karachi mayor Waseem Akhtar and veteran politician Munir Ahmad Khan were among those who attended. In a statement released after the meeting, the NDC expressed serious concern over the PTI founder’s health as well as the government’s confirmation that Imran underwent an eye procedure last week. It demanded that a meeting be arranged between Imran and his personal physi...

The executive director of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), Professor Dr Rana Imran Sikander, revealed early on Saturday that the eye procedure of incarcerated former premier Imran Khan was completed “smoothly” and that he remained “stable” during the intervention. The video statement by the hospital’s head comes after the PTI approached the Supreme Court on Friday, seeking its assistance in arranging a meeting between the PTI founder and his personal physicians, with the help of the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP). Information Minister Attaullah Tarar had earlier confirmed that Imran underwent a “20-minute” medical procedure for an eye ailment on the night of January 24 at Pims in Islamabad. “It (the procedure) was completed smoothly in approximately 20 minutes. During the treatment, the patient remained vitally stable and was discharged with routine post-procedure care instructions and follow-up advice and documents,” said Sikander. The doctor said the former premier, aged 74, complained of...

After staging a day-long protest outside the Supreme Court in Islamabad, the PTI said on Friday that the family of incarcerated premier Imran Khan would be provided a copy of his medical report. PTI’s Salman Akram Raja made the remarks while speaking to the media outside the SC building, where the party, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, staged a day-long sit-in in an effort to facilitate a meeting between Imran and his personal physicians. The development comes a day after Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed that Imran underwent a medical procedure for an eye ailment last week at a hospital in Islamabad. According to the minister, the former premier was taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) in Islamabad for a “20-minute” medical procedure on the night of January 24. Speaking outside the SC premises on Friday evening, Raja said, “As you know, we have been outside the SC building all day.” Afridi and Senate opposition leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas were ...

State Minister for Interior Affairs Tallal Chaudhry on Friday said that the PTI could not “dictate” meetings with incarcerated party leader Imran Khan by staging sit-ins. The statement came as the party camped outside Adiala jai, where he is imprisoned, and the Supreme Court after the government confirmed Imran underwent a medical procedure for an eye ailment last week at a hospital in Islamabad. Speaking on Geo News programme ‘Naya Pakistan’, the state minister replied to a question about the secrecy of Imran’s treatment, stating that there was nothing secret about it. “Their (the PTI) problem is that the glass is always half-empty to them; they cannot be realistic or positive,” Chaudhry said. “They previously said that there were no health facilities and nobody was paying attention,” he explained. “If there has been a health issue, then he (Imran) was immediately taken to the best hospital nearest to the prison. He was taken, examined and then left after everything was fine.” Chaudhry noted that upholding t...

Amid reports about PTI founder Imran Khan suffering from an ailment that could permanently damage his eyesight and being taken to a hospital for treatment, the opposition on Wednesday demanded that a meeting be arranged between the ex-premier and his family. A day prior, the party said it had learned through credible reports that the ex-premier was suffering from an ailment that could cause permanent damage to his eyesight if not treated promptly. According to a senior doctor at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Imran was brought to the hospital under strict security on Saturday night for the procedure, which took quite some time. Another doctor, however, has denied this and said it was better not to discuss it as the PTI would make an issue out of such a development. During a press conference in Islamabad, PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan said that Imran was allegedly taken to the hospital over the weekend before being taken back to jail. He called the situation “distressing for the nation, the party an...