Party leaders seek specialist eye treatment and access for personal doctors and family
The Supreme Court of Pakistan. PHOTO: APP/FILE
ISLAMABAD:
Senior members of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday approached the Supreme Court, seeking the transfer of the party’s founder, former prime minister Imran Khan, to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad for medical treatment.
The petition was filed by PTI lawyer Latif Khosa in the Toshakhana criminal case under Rule 35(6) of the Supreme Court Rules, 2025, following a health assessment report prepared by barrister Salman Safdar at the court’s direction.
It requested that Imran be immediately shifted to Shifa International Hospital for specialised treatment of his eye condition by a retina specialist. It also sought access for his personal physicians, Dr Faisal Sultan and Dr Asim Yousaf, and requested that his family be permitted to remain present during medical examinations and treatment.
“The petitioner be immediately shifted to Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad, for proper treatment of his eyes from a retina specialist and permit access of his personal physician Dr Faisal Sultan and Dr Asim Yousaf,” the petition stated.
The petition described Khan, 73, as being in declining health and said his condition was a matter of serious concern for both his family and the public. It added that he had repeatedly sought access to his personal doctors for independent examination and treatment of his deteriorating eye condition.
The filing also requested that Khan’s family members be informed and granted reasonable access during his medical treatment, and that his legal counsel be provided with attested copies of all medical reports and examinations. It further sought regular access for his lawyer to ensure effective legal representation.
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A two-member Supreme Court bench has already adjourned proceedings in the Toshakhana criminal case until a final decision is issued by the Islamabad High Court.
Khan has been in prison since August 2023 and is currently serving a sentence at Adiala Jail in a £190 million corruption case. He also faces pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act linked to protests on May 9, 2023.
His party has intensified calls for his release after a medical report submitted to the court said vision in his right eye had dropped to 15%. However, government officials say he is receiving appropriate medical care.
Following a recent medical assessment, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Senate opposition leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas were briefed on Khan’s condition during a session at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences. His personal physicians, including Dr Yousaf and Dr Khurram Mirza, were also informed and expressed satisfaction with the treatment, according to officials.
Last week, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said Imran had normal 6/6 vision in one eye, while the other eye had about 70% vision with corrective glasses. Speaking at a lawyers’ event in Ferozewala, he said a specialist medical team was satisfied with Khan’s treatment and had briefed opposition leaders and his personal doctors.
According to a medical report obtained by The Express Tribune, Khan’s right-eye vision improved from 6/36 to 6/9, while his left eye measured 6/6 with glasses. The assessment was conducted by a medical board including Dr Nadeem Qureshi and Dr Arif after examining Khan at Adiala Jail.
