KP CM warns against politicization of Imran Khan’s health

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Saturday referred to a directive from the Supreme Court of Pakistan, saying that as per the chief justice’s orders, the treatment of incarcerated former Prime Minister Imran Khan should be completed by February 16.

Afridi, reacting to recent tensions following the release of a report on Khan’s eye condition, spoke to social media platform

He called for calm and restraint amid concerns over his health, calling on party members to remain peaceful and vigilant while insisting that he receive immediate medical treatment.

Read: PTI holds rally on Imran’s health

Political temperatures rose sharply after a seven-page report submitted to the Supreme Court detailed the PTI founder’s living conditions at Adiala jail, quoting him as saying he had lost 85 percent of the vision in his right eye. The report drew strong condemnation from the PTI, which called the alleged denial of proper medical care “gross and inexcusable negligence”, saying his treatment was limited to basic eye drops for months despite his condition worsening.

In a major development, the federal government assured the apex court that Khan would have access to specialist ophthalmologists for further medical assessment and allow telephone contact with his sons, Kasim and Sulaiman. The assurances were given during a hearing on the facilities available to the incarcerated leader at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Prison before a two-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi and including Justice Shahid Bilal Hasan.

Within hours, the opposition alliance Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP), of which the PTI is a key shareholder, announced a sit-in in front of Parliament. Opposition leader in the National Assembly Mehmood Achakzai warned that the government would be responsible if anything happened to Khan before his demands were met. The PTI central leadership is leading the protest, in which MPs, MPs and senators have been invited to participate, adding that the sit-in would continue for an indefinite period if necessary.

Further intensifying the row, PTI leaders claimed that Khan was taken to the hospital without his consent and without consulting his personal doctors or family. The party demanded immediate access to trusted doctors, possible transfer to a reputable hospital for specialized treatment, restoration of family visits and legal access, and accountability for prison officials. He also warned of a wider public movement and possible legal action if his demands were not met, urging international human rights organizations and the media to take notice of what he described as medical and mental torture.

In a statement addressed to “my fellow Pakistanis”, KP CM Afridi said Khan’s health was “above politics” and vowed not to politicize the issue or allow others to do so.

“Imran Khan’s health is more important to me than politics. I will not politicize it myself nor will I allow anyone else to do so,” Afridi said, acknowledging the “grief and anger” among his supporters.

The statement urged party activists to turn their emotions into strength. “In difficult and delicate times, you must fight with wisdom and composure. Your hidden strategy is your greatest strength,” he said.

Describing Khan as “not an ordinary person”, the KP CM noted that he is a former prime minister and life president of the country’s largest political party. He claimed that “his health has been violated, which is an unforgivable act”, and stressed that his best possible medical treatment was now the top priority.

Learn more: TTAP sit-in

“No one should think that I will sit idly by until Imran Khan gets treatment,” Afridi added.

Party activists who had taken to the streets without an official call were urged to remain peaceful wherever they were and to support their colleagues nearby. The statement warned that Khan’s opponents, whom it accused of subjecting him to “medical terrorism,” could try to infiltrate protests to provoke violence.

“We must keep an eye on disruptive elements and continue peaceful protests,” Afridi said, warning his supporters not to believe any negative or false propaganda unless confirmed by Khan’s family or the party.

The KP CM assured the public that Khan’s treatment would be carried out under the supervision of his personal doctors and in consultation with his family, while also emphasizing the need to ensure his safety alongside the treatment of his reported eye problem.