PTI leaders camp outside Imran's jail overnight

RAWALPINDI/ISLAMABAD:

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi announced on Thursday that he along with PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja and other party workers would stay night on Adiala Jail Road after they were denied meeting with party founding chairman and former premier Imran Khan.

Afridi's visit came after the PTI raised concerns about Imran's health.

"Our leader was secretly moved from jail to a hospital on Saturday night. The question is why the situation reached a point where hospitalisation became necessary, why his illness was concealed, and why his family was not informed. If the condition was so serious, why was it not communicated?" the K-P chief minister asked while speaking to the media.

"Why was his personal doctor not taken into confidence? What were the motives behind hiding this for so many days? The life of [PTI] founder has been jeopardized. The nation will not tolerate any compromise on his life."

Earlier in the day, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed that Imran had undergone a medical procedure for an eye ailment at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad on Saturday night.

This was for the first time Imran was taken out of Adiala Jail since he was arrested in August 2023 after being convicted in multiple cases.

On Thursday, the K-P chief minister, accompanied by other members of the provincial cabinet, reached Adiala Road, but police did not allow them to proceed past the factory checkpoint.

Afridi demanded that the PTI founder be allowed to meet with his family, party members, and lawyers to "prevent further deterioration of the situation".

"We have no trust in these people. The founder has been unjustly imprisoned, and an attempt has already been made on his life. His family was kept uninformed [about the medical procedure], and he has been treated with utter disregard. Neither the founder nor his family has any trust in the government. Concealing the founder's poor health amounts to 'medical terrorism'," the K-P chief minister said.

Afridi stressed that every individual has the right to be treated by their personal physician.

Without naming PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif, the K-P chief minister sarcastically said the "fugitive who fled to London had falsely claimed a drop in platelets, and a hue and cry was raised [for him]".

Expressing "serious concern" over Imran's health, Afridi said the media should raise voice over the PTI founder's health, noting that the nation was "rightly angry" over his medical conditions.

Again launching a diatribe against Nawaz, the K-P chief minister said, "just as voices were raised for a 'convicted thief', the same attention should be given to the [PTI] founder".

Speaking on the occasion, Raja said under the Islamabad High Court's (IHC) order, it was the PTI leaders and supporters right to meet Imran.

According to the IHC order, he said, a list of individuals eligible to meet him had been submitted to the jail administration, but they were still not allowed access.

Afridi held a meeting near the factory checkpoint at a nearby kiosk after jail visiting hours ended. He declared that they would continue their protest on Adiala Road overnight until Imran is allowed to meet his family, personal physicians, and lawyers.

He also stated that all provincial assembly members had been informed to join in order to strengthen their demand.

Tarar on Imran's health

After days of speculations, the federal government on Thursday confirmed that incarcerated PTI leader Imran Khan was brought to Islamabad's main hospital for eye treatment at the last weekend, triggering strong reaction from his party, which alleged authorities for keeping them dark about their leader's health.

Reports had been circulating that the former prime minister was taken to PIMS on Saturday night, but authorities initially refused to confirm the development.

On Thursday, Tarar broke the silence, confirming that Imran underwent a medical procedure at PIMS in Islamabad on the night of January 24.

Interestingly, the state-run PTV carried Tarar's statement with mentioning PTI leader by name.

Tarar, according to the state media, said the procedure lasted around 20 minutes following recommendations from ophthalmologists who examined Khan inside Adiala Jail.

"Eye specialists assessed him at Adiala and advised that a minor procedure at PIMS was necessary. He was taken there on Saturday night for further examination and treatment with his written consent," the minister said.

According to Tarar, Imran's vital signs remained stable throughout the procedure, and he was safely returned to Adiala Jail afterward, under the doctors' instructions. "He is completely healthy. All prisoners have access to medical care as per regulations, and Imran Khan is no exception," the minister added.

Prior to the government confirmation, PTI had sought clarification. PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar, in a press conference on Wednesday, raised concerns over reports that Imran Khan was suffering from an eye ailment that could cause permanent damage and demanded a meeting between the ex-PM and his family.

Following Tarar's confirmation, PTI strongly condemned the federal government, Punjab government and Adiala Jail administration for "secretly" transferring Imran to PIMS, deliberately keeping his family members, lawyers, and party leadership uninformed, and refusing access to his personal physicians.

Imran's son's tweet

Imran Khan's son, Qasim Khan, also posted on X, expressing grave concern over his father's health:

"My father has now spent over 900 days in a death cell with no family visits and no access to his personal doctors. Credible reports confirm he has been diagnosed with central retinal vein occlusion, a dangerous blockage that can lead to permanent vision loss if not treated urgently. Yet authorities continue to block his treatment and deny him the doctors he trusts. I am even denied the right to speak to him. This is not governance. This is authoritarian cruelty. I call on every defender of human rights to act before it is too late. The world must see that in Pakistan today, democracy is hollow and basic human rights are being crushed."

Political leaders condemn 'secret transfer'

Newly appointed Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, criticized the transfer, saying it amounted to criminal negligence and a blatant violation of the Constitution. He added that the state is fully responsible for the life and health of a prisoner, and any harm will rest with those holding him in custody.

Opposition Leader in the Senate, Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, called keeping Imran Khan away from his family and personal physicians and secretly shifting him to hospital "inhuman" and a serious violation of human rights. He warned that any delay, ambiguity, or denial of medical access in Khan's case would have grave consequences and cannot be tolerated.