Pakistan: PTI alleges secret hospital transfer plan for Imran Khan, calls it ‘risk to his life’

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has raised alarm over reports that its founder and former prime minister Imran Khan may be covertly shifted from prison to a hospital for medical treatment, calling the alleged move a grave violation of his fundamental rights and a potential threat to his life.

In a strongly worded statement, the party claimed that even Khan’s family has not been taken into confidence regarding the reported transfer. PTI insisted that any medical examination or treatment must take place transparently, in the presence of his personal physicians and at least one close family member.

For months, Khan’s relatives and legal team have accused prison authorities of neglecting his medical needs. According to local media reports, including The Express Tribune, the former premier is battling multiple health concerns, among them reported vision loss in his right eye — a condition that has intensified calls for urgent specialist care.

“We express grave concern over reports and speculations suggesting a plan to secretly shift our leader to a hospital without informing his family,” the party said. “Such an act would constitute a blatant violation of both fundamental human rights and prevailing legal requirements.”

PTI argued that Pakistan’s prison regulations mandate that authorities notify family members and designated doctors before arranging any medical check-up, treatment or transfer of an inmate. Any secrecy surrounding Khan’s health, it added, would echo troubling precedents and amount to deliberately placing his well-being at risk.

Describing the delay in providing comprehensive medical care as “extremely unfortunate and inhumane”, the party demanded immediate intervention, declaring that “no compromise whatsoever will be made regarding the health and well-being of our leader”.

The political temperature rose further on Friday as members of Pakistan’s opposition alliance staged a sit-in near Parliament House, spotlighting concerns over Khan’s deteriorating health in custody. Simultaneously, the Tehreek Tahafuz-i-Ayeen Pakistan (TTAP) — an alliance that includes PTI — launched a protest outside Parliament House, vowing to continue demonstrations until Khan is admitted to Al-Shifa Hospital for treatment.

A day earlier, the Supreme Court of Pakistan directed authorities to constitute a medical board to examine Khan’s eyes following reports of vision impairment.

Khan has been incarcerated since August 2023, when he was arrested at his Lahore residence after being convicted in a corruption case. He is currently lodged at the high-security Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi — a confinement that, as the latest controversy unfolds, remains at the heart of Pakistan’s charged political landscape.

With IANS inputs