The PTI on Tuesday again raised concerns about the health of incarcerated party founder Imran Khan, saying it had learned through credible reports that the ex-premier was suffering from an ailment that could cause permanent damage to his eyesight if not treated promptly.
In a statement released on the social media platform X, the party demanded that Imran be allowed an “unrestricted meeting” with his family and associates. It also demanded that he be allowed medical treatment at a hospital of his own choice.
The statement said the party had learnt through credible media reports that Imran had been diagnosed with central retinal vein occlusion in his right eye, “resulting in a dangerous blockage in the retinal vein”.
“According to medical experts who reportedly checked him in jail, this is an extremely sensitive and serious medical condition which, if not treated promptly and properly, carries a high risk of permanent damage to his eyesight,” the party said.
“Despite this, the jail administration is stubbornly insisting that the treatment be carried out inside the jail, while the attending specialist doctor has clearly stated that such treatment is not possible in jail and that it requires an operation theatre and specialized medical facilities,” the party said, adding that this “reckless attitude” put Imran’s vision and his overall health in grave danger.
It said that Imran was last granted access to his personal physician in October 2024, who had not been allowed to examine him since then, despite order issued by the Islamabad High Court.
“This is a blatant violation of court orders and a gross breach of fundamental human rights. Moreover, a petition regarding Imran Khan’s regular medical check-ups has been pending since August 2025, which is being deliberately ignored. The government’s conduct clearly demonstrates that, in its obsession with political vendetta, it is willing to gamble with the life and health of a prisoner,” the party said.
It demanded that Imran be immediately allowed an unrestricted meeting with his family and close associates so that the “public may be reassured about his condition”.
“We also demand that he be allowed without delay to Shaukat Khanum Hospital or to any other reputable hospital of his own choice, where he can receive proper treatment under the supervision of qualified specialists with full medical facilities. We strongly appeal to the judiciary to treat this as a matter of health and human life, not politics, and to ensure that no negligence or delay is allowed in his medical care,” it said.
The statement said that if there was permanent damage to Imran’s eyesight, the government and the Adiala jail administration would be responsible as they were “obstructing his treatment despite clear medical advice and court orders”.
Shaukat Khanum Hospital, which was established by Imran, also issued a statement, saying it was “gravely concerned” about the ex-premier’s health.
“While we have every confidence in the abilities and professionalism of the physicians currently looking after him, we nevertheless request that a team of physicians from Shaukat Khanum Hospital be given immediate access to Khan sahib and be allowed to participate in his care so as to reassure all those who are concerned for his welfare,” the statement said.
Imran’s sisters question reports about his ailment
For their part, Imran’s sisters raised doubts about the reports of his ailment. The three, among other PTI supporters and workers, had gathered near Adiala jail — where Imran is incarcerated — on Tuesday. Speaking at the spot, one of Imran’s sisters, Noreen Khanum, was asked to comment on the restriction on meetings with Imran.
In response, Noreen said, “We come here to [protest] against the cruelty being meted out to Imran.”
She also addressed the reports of Imran having an eye ailment, saying: “If this is true, we should have been informed so that we could have taken him to the hospital for treatment.”
Without naming anyone, she alleged that “they [float rumours] as a tester, they lie to worry and disappoint the people and this is why I don’t believe this.”
She asserted that Imran was healthy and fit, further warning that “if they are planning to do something, then damaging Imran’s eyes will mean that even their eye will not be spared”.
Imran’s other sister, Aleema Khanum, said no one from the jail administration was sharing any details about him with his family and lawyers.
“So who has leaked this news? Which institution has leaked this? Because can you believe that this can be leaked without the involvement of any agency?” she said, adding, “We have just one demand: release Imran Khan.”
She also said that Imran had been imprisoned for the past two-and-a-half years because he was adamant that he “will not secure his release through a deal”.
The ex-premier’s third sister, Uzma Khanum, said that she had last met her brother on December 2, 2025 for just 20 minutes. “During that conversation, he said nothing about his eyesight,” she said.
However, Uzma continued, in a meeting held two months earlier, Imran had told her that he had an infection in his right eye, but only eye drops were given to him.
Presently, “we don’t know anything about the condition of his eye as we are not allowed to meet him”, she said.
Aleema spoke to the media again at night, saying that the last time Imran met someone was two months ago when his lawyer, Salman Safdar, was allowed to meet him for eight minutes.
Later, the PTI claimed in a post on X that Aleema was stopped by police when she was returning from the Adiala jail.
The opposition alliance Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) also alleged in a statement that Imran’s sisters were “wrongfully confined” when they were returning from the Adiala jail.
The statement said that Imran’s sisters were not just barred from meeting him, but also “wrongfully confined” while they were returning.
“This act is another clear example of the brutal and illegitimate use of state power, the objective behind which is to scare citizens and intensify political revenge,” the statement said.
The TTAP demanded that Imran and his family be allowed to meet, the fundamental right of peaceful assembly and free movement be respected, and legal action be taken against those responsible for the wrongful confinement of Imran’s sisters.
PTI MNAs file fresh plea for meeting Imran
Separately, PTI MNA arrives at the IHC to file a fresh petition seeking permission to meet Imran. PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, along with MNAs Ali Muhammad Khan, Shehryar Afridi, Salman Akram Raja, Aamir Dogar, Ali Asghar Khan and Shahzada Gustasp, among others, appeared at the IHC court premises and completed the biometric verification to submit their application.
Speaking to the media outside the IHC, Gohar said that Tuesdays were the designated day for meetings with Imran. He said that the party leadership had approached the IHC chief justice multiple times but had not been granted a meeting.
He added that a letter signed by PTI MNAs was being submitted to the IHC chief justice, requesting that meetings with the PTI founder and Bushra Bibi be scheduled in accordance with the law and court orders.
The PTI chairman also expressed concern over the health of both Imran and his wife, Bushra Bibi stressing that meeting a prisoner was a fundamental legal right and should not be politicised.
Gohar reiterated that PTI’s mandate had been “robbed” and reiterated the opposition’s nationwide protest call for February 8, including a wheel-jam and shutter-down strike, calling on shopkeepers and transporters to participate.
PTI Secretary General Raja said that the youth’s right to vote had been snatched. He called for a peaceful protest and expressed concern over reports that Imran was suffering from an eye problem. He added that the party would raise these concerns with the IHC chief justice.
Separately, Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka extended interim bail to Imran in five additional cases related to May 9 and to Bushra Bibi in a fake receipts case related to the Toshakhana.
The PTI founder could not be presented before the court, either physically or via video link, due to which arguments could not be concluded. The court ordered that he be presented at the next hearing and extended interim bail until February 6.
