Imran | Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Aleema Khanum, sister of PTI founder Imran Khan, on Wednesday launched a scathing criticism of the party leadership over decisions taken for the former premier’s medical treatment and of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) over the delay in fixing his cases for hearing. A day earlier, the PTI founder was taken to the hospital for follow-up treatment of his eye ailment, which came to light in late January. However, his party took exception to the ‘secrecy’ surrounding this procedure and the complete exclusion of family members from this process. The opposition has also repeatedly demanded that cases of the incarcerated PTI founder be fixed for an early hearing. Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Aleema said the health of the PTI founder was the family’s primary concern and insisted that no decision regarding his treatment should be made without their permission. Referring to Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s statement from February 17 regarding Imran’s health, she said the minister had publicly claimed t...

Imran taken to PIMS for treatment

Members of the opposition protested outside the Supreme Court (SC) on Monday to demand that the cases of incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan be immediately scheduled for hearing and that he be allowed to meet his family. Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas and PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja participated in the protest, which ended at around 2pm. Other leaders present included chief whip Amir Dogar, MNAs Ali Muhammad Khan and Shahid Khattak, MPA Shafiullah Jan, and Muhammad Hussain. The protest participants also demanded that “a complete medical examination be conducted through his personal doctors”, according to a post by the opposition alliance Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayin-i-Pakistan (TTAP) on X. Imran, imprisoned since August 2023, is serving a 14-year sentence at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail in a £190 million corruption case and was convicted in another case regarding state gifts recently. His health has been garnering attention in recent days, with his family and party raising concerns since...

PPP leader Sharjeel Inam Memon on Sunday said that PTI founder Imran Khan’s release was “in his own hands” as it depended on his party’s “attitude”. The Sindh senior minister made the remarks while speaking to reporters during a visit to a site of ongoing development work in Karachi. In response to a question regarding Imran’s release, the minister maintained that the incarcerated former premier’s release “was in his own hands and the attitude” of PTI. “I do not have any knowledge of his release; however, it is the blessed month of Ramazan, and I pray for his health, particularly his eye issue”, Memon said. Imran’s health has been garnering attention in recent days, with his family and party raising concerns since his eye ailment — right central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) — came to light in late January. Memon assailed the party for “not focusing on the release of their leadership” and instead “creating fuss and staging protests outside of Adiala”. “It is better if they focus on seeking Imran’s release,” h...

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said on Friday that incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan would be taken to a hospital twice in the coming days and that he had to be administered an injection on February 25. The ex-prime minister’s health has been garnering attention in recent days, with his family and party raising concerns since his eye ailment — right central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) — came to light in late January. Meanwhile, the government and the opposition have also been engaged in a blame game, with the latter accusing the former of a lack of transparency on the matter, not ensuring appropriate treatment for Imran and not allowing his personal physicians to access him. The government denies these allegations. The matter was raised again during ARY News programme ‘Sawal Yeh Hai’, where Chaudhry was asked what was the obstacle in the way of Imran’s personal physicians gaining access to him. In his response, Chaudhry said: “Our top priority is to provide him the best treatment faci...

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) stayed on Friday a trial by the court of an additional district judge in Lahore in a RS10 billion defamation suit filed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif against PTI founder Imran Khan. In his suit filed in 2017, PM Shehbaz said Imran levelled baseless allegations against him. He sought a decree for the recovery of Rs10bn as compensation from the defendant for the publication of defamatory content. The defamation suit said Imran wrongly accused PM Shehbaz of offering Rs10bn to the latter through a common friend in exchange for withdrawing the Panama Papers case. The PTI founder had contended in his reply that he had disclosed the alleged incident for the consumption of the public at large, and an act in the interest of the public good did not constitute any defamation. He maintained that he did not specifically attribute any statement to the PM Shehbaz while narrating the incident. A three-judge SC bench, headed by Justice Ayesha A Malik and including Justices Muhammad Hashim ...

The PTI on Thursday once again voiced concerns regarding party founder Imran Khan’s health, taking exception to the government’s alleged “silence and lack of clarity” over the matter. The incarcerated ex-prime minister’s family and party have been raising concerns about his health since his eye ailment — right central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) — came to light in late January. In a statement on X, the PTI expressed “profound concern over the growing anxiety spreading among the nation regarding” Imran’s health. “Any ambiguity surrounding the health of a leader who commands the confidence of millions is unacceptable. The government’s silence and lack of clarity have only intensified public unease rather than alleviating it,” the PTI contended. “This is not merely a political matter; it is a test of national trust, human rights, and the government’s responsibility,” the party asserted. Stating that “any uncertainty regarding his health and safety is intolerable”, it stressed that if the government had nothing...

Indian cricket greats Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev joined a dozen other former international captains on Tuesday in demanding better prison treatment for “one of the finest all-rounders” of the game, former prime minister Imran Khan. Cricketer-turned-politician Imran, 73, has been in jail since August 2023, convicted in a string of cases that he says were politically driven following his ouster in a 2022 parliamentary vote. Imran’s lawyer, Salman Safdar, told the Supreme Court last week that the former premier had lost a significant amount of vision in his right eye while in custody. On Monday, a medical board said the swelling had reduced after treatment, and his vision had improved. On Tuesday, former India captains Gavaskar and Kapil signed a petition expressing “deep concern” about Imran’s treatment and prison conditions. Former Australia captain Greg Chappell, his brother Ian Chappell and compatriots Allan Border, Steve Waugh, Belinda Clark and Kim Hughes have signed the petition. England’s Mike Atherton...

ISLAMABAD: As the TTAP’s sit-in continued for the fifth day after the blocked routes to Parliament House were cleared, the alliance expressed hope on Tuesday that at least one family member of the incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan or a party leader would be allowed to meet him today amid concerns about his health. The hope, however, did not materialise. In the afternoon, an X account of the PTI said that a vehicle carrying Imran’s sisters was stopped at the Chakri Interchange while on its way to the Adiala jail. Later, Imran’s sister Aleema Khanum also claimed in a post that “we were stopped at the Chakri police post by the police. When we informed them that we intended to leave and proceed to Islamabad, they unlawfully blocked us and detained us there for the next four hours”. “We have now been released and are on our way to Islamabad,” she added. PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Secretary General Salman Akram Raja also sought to meet Imran today but were told by the Adiala jail administration tha...

ISLAMABAD: Opposition alliance Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP), as well as incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan’s sisters, rejected on Tuesday an account detailed by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi regarding the former prime minister’s medical examination. The TTAP particularly accused Naqvi of attempting to “distort” facts to “cover up the deteriorating health and treatment meted out to” the former prime minister. The allegations came in response to a press conference by Naqvi earlier in the day, who asserted that the government did not want to “politicise” the matter of PTI founder Imran Khan’s health and blamed the opposition for doing the same. The opposition, PTI and Imran’s family have voiced concerns over the former prime minister’s health after his eye ailment came to light late in January. Addressing the media in Lahore, Naqvi referred to the recent medical report prepared by a team of doctors who examined the jailed ex-premier on Sunday. “The medical report also came forward yesterday and ever...

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...