Says enough is enough – anyone who cannot carry the weight of the founder’s narrative should step aside
Aleema Khan, sister of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, on Wednesday strongly criticised the party leadership for its inaction regarding her brother’s release from prison and his deteriorating health, saying those unable to shoulder the burden of the founder’s narrative should step aside.
“The party seems relaxed as if the founder’s treatment has already been completed. We are not seeing any action from PTI on his health matters. Enough is enough – anyone who cannot carry the weight of the founder’s narrative should step aside,” she said, while speaking to the media outside the Islamabad High Court.
Imran has been in custody since August 2023, serving a sentence at Adiala Jail in a £190 million corruption case. He also faces pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act in connection with protests on May 9, 2023.
Read More: Khosa raises concern over Imran health
The PTI has intensified calls for his release after a medical report submitted to the court stated that vision in his right eye had dropped to 15 per cent. Government officials, however, maintain that he is receiving appropriate medical care.
Aleema further emphasised that no decisions or statements regarding Imran’s health should be made without her family’s consent. “The party should not issue any statements or make decisions about the founder’s health without our permission,” she said.
She also criticised the party for failing to respond to claims made by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. “The information we are receiving from Mohsin Naqvi should have been shared with us by Barrister Gohar,” she added.
Read More: Medical board reports improvement in Imran Khan’s eye condition
Aleema accused the government of pressuring the official doctors treating her brother. “We have been informed that government doctors are being pressured. We will now communicate our message to the party not in private, but in front of the media,” she said.
She also questioned why Imran Khan’s lawyers were not ensuring his cases were heard in court. “We sit for hours in court, but Justice Dogar does not take up the cases. He was brought in from the Lahore High Court specifically for this purpose – to avoid taking up Imran’s cases,” she alleged.
Earlier, speaking outside the Supreme Court (SC), Barrister Gohar said that over the past year, he and other party members had visited the Islamabad High Court (IHC) 17 times and the Supreme Court (SC) 14 times.
“Our sole demand is that the founder’s cases be scheduled and heard in court,” he said. “We have filed a petition in the SC seeking access for Imran’s lawyers, family, and doctors to visit him while the cases are pending.”
He also mentioned that another petition related to Imran’s treatment had been filed with the SC. Senior lawyer Latif Khosa had submitted a request to the Registrar of the SC by post, with confirmation that the petition would be processed.
Gohar outlined that two major cases, the Al-Qadir and Toshakhana cases, were still pending in the IHC. “In the Al-Qadir case, the sentence was handed down on January 17, 2025, but according to judicial policy, a decision should have been reached within 35 to 60 days. Yet, more than a year has passed with no hearing scheduled,” he added.
Additionally, Gohar criticised the delay in the hearing of cases involving Bushra Bibi. “Today, the Chief Justice of the IHC was approached to expedite the scheduling of the cases, but there was no positive response from the bench,” he said.
Meanwhile, Imran was brought to PIMS for follow up eye-treatment i.e. second dose of anti VEGF intra vitreal injection in the wee hours of Tuesday. Prior to the procedure, he was examined by a board of specialists, which included consultant cardiologist who also performed echocardiography and ECG.
Also Read: Imran agreed to apologise over May 9
Last week, a medical board that examined him reported an improvement in his eyesight and did not recommend transferring him to a hospital. According to his medical report, his vision in his right eye has improved from 6/36 to 6/9, while his left eye retains 6/6 vision with the use of glasses. The assessment was conducted by Dr Nadeem Qureshi and Dr Arif, following a detailed examination at Adiala Jail.
According to the medical report, the anterior segment of both eyes was normal and the cornea was clear. It noted mild intragel haemorrhage at the edge of the right eye and moderate retinal haemorrhage in all four quadrants. Swelling in the macula of the right eye was subsiding, with macular thickness reduced from 550 to 350 microns.
The board outlined ongoing medication and treatment and recommended OCT angiography and fundus fluorescein angiography after completion of anti-VEGF therapy, the report added, while no recommendation was made for Imran’s transfer to a hospital.
