Bushra Bibi, the wife of incarcerated ex-premier and PTI founder Imran Khan, was shifted back to Adiala jail on Friday after undergoing an eye surgery at a Rawalpindi hospital, according to jail authorities.
Bushra is serving a seven-year sentence in the £190 million corruption case. In December 2025, she was sentenced to 17 years’ imprisonment in the Toshakhana 2 case, which revolved around the purchase of an expensive jewelry set gifted to Imran by the Saudi crown prince during his May 2021 visit. The PTI has expressed concern over reports about her health, demanding that she be taken to a hospital for diagnosis and treatment.
According to a press release by the Adiala jail authorities, she had complained of impaired vision in her right eye, due to which the prison administrators immediately had her examined by ophthalmologists.
The superintendent of the jail said that retinal detachment was diagnosed in the right eye. In view of the diagnosis, doctors advised surgery, he added.
On Thursday evening, the patient was shifted to a private hospital in Rawalpindi, where the necessary tests and medical examination were completed before the surgery, the superintendent said, adding that Bushra Bibi had given consent for the operation.
The surgery was performed by Professor Dr. Nadeem Qureshi and a panel, the statement elaborated.
“The patient was discharged after the surgery and one night’s hospital stay,” the superintendent said, adding that she had been taken back to Adiala jail.
“Post-operative examinations and follow-up will be done as per the doctors’ advice,” he said.
PTI chairman terms meeting with family members ‘basic right’
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan had said on social media this morning that Bushra Bibi had been taken to hospital.
“I was informed [through] a message that Bushra [Bibi] had been shifted to the hospital last night and that I would be briefed about the treatment,” Gohar said on X.
He added that he would request that her family members be allowed to meet her, as well as that Imran Khan’s family be allowed to meet with him and that he be moved to the hospital for treatment.
“The earlier, the better. It is their basic right according to law,” he said. “Their health is too serious and every Pakistani is deeply concerned.”
Maryam Riaz Wattoo, Bushra Bibi’s sister, reported not long after that the family had reached Islamabad.
“She will be going through a crucial surgery today. Please pray for her,” she said on X, without elaborating on the details.
The PTI’s concern came after a document dated March 28 began circulating on social media, which stated that Bushra Bibi had been examined by a Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) doctor who had said the patient had a “history of blurring of vision and a black spot in the right eye for the past 11 days”.
“She also complained of headache and flashes in the right eye,” the document said. Dawn has been unable to independently verify the authenticity and veracity of the document.
Separately, a statement issued by the PTI said Bushra Bibi had been reportedly diagnosed with posterior vitreous detachment (PVD), along with myopia and astigmatism, terming the development “deeply concerning”.
In January, it had also surfaced that Imran was suffering from an eye ailment, and he underwent a third eye procedure at Pims last month.
In December of last year, a United Nations (UN) expert warned that Bushra Bibi was being “detained in circumstances that could pose a serious risk to her physical and mental integrity”.
Earlier that month, the same special rapporteur had warned that Imran was being held in conditions that could amount to inhuman or degrading treatment, calling on Pakistani authorities to comply with international norms and standards.
