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PTI striker Imran Khan. Photo: File
ISLAMABAD:
Senior opposition leaders on Wednesday expressed grave concern over the health of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, particularly amid reports that he was shifted to a hospital for treatment without informing his family or the party leadership.
Top leaders of the PTI and its allies held a joint press conference to express concerns over the continued denial of access to Imran, a day after reports emerged that the jailed former prime minister was suffering from an eye infection.
“The last meeting with Imran Khan took place on December 20, after which party officials and his family members were not allowed to meet him,” said PTI president’s lawyer Gohar Ali Khan, adding that a petition had been filed in court but permission was still not granted.
He referred to reports suggesting that Imran was transferred to hospital last weekend for a procedure related to an eye disease and then returned to prison. “The family should have been brought on board to shift him for medical treatment,” Gohar said.
“To this day, we do not know for what illness he was taken to the hospital, nor which doctor examined him, nor why he was brought back to prison,” he continued, describing the situation as “distressing for the nation, the party and the family.”
Gohar alleged that the government is trying to consolidate power by making constitutional changes, which is eroding public trust. He demanded that the restrictions imposed on the meeting with Imran be lifted immediately, especially before February 8.
Leader of Opposition in the Senate Allama Raja Nasir Abbas also expressed concern over Imran’s health, saying the PTI founder is a popular leader in Pakistan and refusal to give him access constitutes grave injustice.
He added that leaders were losing credibility and would eventually have to answer for it. He held the February 8, 2024 elections as the cause of the current political and economic crisis, citing rising unemployment, farmers’ losses and public hardship.
He announced that February 8 would be considered a “black day”, with wheel locks and roller shutter strikes, accompanied by torchlight processions in the evening, stressing that the demonstrations would be completely peaceful.
PTI general secretary Salman Akram Raja said the denial of access to Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, is “totally unacceptable”. He claimed that even Imran’s personal doctor, who has no political affiliation, was not allowed to see him.
Raja demanded that Imran be allowed to meet his personal doctor and family without delay. He also said that the petitions filed in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for the meetings were adjourned after objections were raised, saying the petitioners had no right to approach the court.
Separately, senior PTI leaders currently incarcerated in Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore said in an open letter that the party founder was suffering from an eye infection leading to occlusion of the central retinal vein – a condition that could lead to permanent loss of vision if not treated properly.
The letter, shared by Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Ejaz Chaudhry, Omar Safaraz Cheema and Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed through their lawyer Rana Mudassar, stated: “This condition is extremely serious and can produce permanent damage to the eye. »
They urged the government to stop its “petty behavior” and ensure that Imran Khan is admitted to a hospital of his choice for proper treatment. They also called on the Chief Justice of Pakistan to intervene and ensure that recommended medical procedures are administered quickly.
