Imran, wife's pleas accepted for medical check-up

RAWALPINDI:

A Rawalpindi anti-terrorism court accepted for hearing applications seeking medical examinations of PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi by their personal doctors, including eye and dental specialists. Notices were issued to the superintendent of Adiala Jail, seeking comments by Tuesday, February 3.

Defence counsel Faisal Mahmood Malik filed the applications, arguing that both had a constitutional and legal right to medical treatment by their own physicians under the supervision of Dr Asim Yousaf. The court was told that medical reports of eye procedures conducted at PIMS should be provided.

On January 29, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed that Imran Khan had undergone a medical procedure for an eye ailment at PIMS. It was the first time he had been taken out of Adiala Jail since his arrest in August 2023 following convictions in multiple cases.

The defence said jail rules require families to be informed before medical procedures, but this was not done, raising concerns. It added that the family would not accept assessments by government doctors alone.

Amid the controversy, PIMS confirmed the treatment, saying: "In the recent past, Mr Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi (age 74 years) reported reduced vision in his right eye."

A senior PIMS ophthalmologist conducted a detailed examination at Adiala Jail, including slit-lamp evaluation, fundoscopy, measurement of intraocular pressure, laboratory tests and Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) of the retina.