Medical team leaves Adiala Jail after examining Imran Khan, PTI rejects inspection

2026-02-15 - 13:36

ISLAMABAD: A team of doctors examined PTI founder Imran Khan at Adiala Jail on Sunday and left the premises after around an hour, sources said, as the party rejected the inspection conducted without his family and personal physicians, terming it “malicious”. On February 12, Imran, currently incarcerated at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, claimed that his right eye had only 15 per cent vision remaining, following which the Supreme Court (SC) ordered the formation of a medical team to examine him. The SC also directed that Imran be allowed to speak to his children. It was ordered that both the eye inspection and the phone calls be conducted before February 16 (Monday). Although government figures on Saturday had hinted that Imran would soon be taken to a hospital, no such development had occurred till Sunday afternoon. At 3:45pm, however, Imran’s sister Noreen Khanum said on X that an “ambulance has reached Adiala jail to move Khan sahib to a hospital”. “But, this is unacceptable to us without us and Khan sahib’s personal doctors being taken into confidence,” she added. According to sources, Adiala’s jail superintendent, however, dismissed the development as a “rumour”, saying that Imran was only being examined and not being taken anywhere yet. “The medical team will examine Imran’s eyes, conduct different tests, and decide whether there is a requirement to move him to a hospital or if he can be retained in jail and continue the treatment here,” the jail superintendent was quoted as saying by the sources. At about 5:30pm, sources said that the eye examination, carried out by a team of five doctors, was completed. “A detailed eye examination and blood sampling were carried out, while his blood pressure was also checked,” they said. “Senior doctors continued the medical examination for an hour,” they said, adding that the medical team was able to start the examination after waiting for two-and-a-half hours. They said that the team brought eye examination equipment with them and that their report is “likely to be compiled soon”. Imran underwent a medical procedure at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) in Islamabad on the night of January 24 — a development confirmed days later amid an apparent lack of knowledge by the family. On the other hand, shortly after the eye examination was completed, the PTI refused to accept the inspection, saying that without the presence of the PTI family and Imran’s personal doctors, the government’s stance was “deemed malicious”. “Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf categorically rejects the recent conduct of the government and jail administration regarding the medical examination of former prime minister Imran Khan’s eye in Adiala Jail. The government’s claim that a message was sent to the party leadership to arrive at the jail at the time of the examination is, in fact, a crude attempt to divert attention from the core issue,” the PTI said in a post on X. “This matter was never about the presence or absence of the party leadership. In such sensitive and delicate medical matters, the constitutional, moral, and legal right to make decisions belongs to Imran Khan’s family. “And the family cannot make an informed decision until Imran Khan’s personal doctors are present during the examination. Therefore, inviting the party leadership symbolically has neither any moral rationale nor any legal justification.” Aleema demands Imran’s treatment as per personal doctors’ advice Earlier in the day, Imran’s sister Aleema Khanum said the party would not accept any medical board formed without the approval of the PTI founder’s personal doctors. Aleema referred to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry’s post from Saturday, which announced that a medical board would be set up. She added, “Secondly, we are hearing in the news that Imran Khan is to be taken to Al Shifa Eye Hospital in Rawalpindi. “Our demand has been clear from the beginning. Imran Khan shall not be given any treatment WITHOUT the presence and approval of his personal doctors and family members.” The former prime minister’s sister affirmed: “We do NOT accept any medical board they set up and control! We do NOT accept any reports or results they manufacture.” She added that the family was “extremely worried as to why they are resisting the selection of specialists advised” by Imran’s personal doctors. “Why are they rejecting the supervision by Imran Khan’s personal doctors? Why are they rejecting the presence of Imran Khan’s family members? Why such fierce resistance? Are they hiding something?” Aleema wondered. Earlier on Sunday, Imran’s longtime personal physicians, Dr Aasim Yusuf and Dr Faisal Sultan, issued a joint video statement, reiterating that the ex-premier needed a comprehensive medical check-up that could be provided at Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad. “In addition to urgent retina specialist care for his central retinal vein occlusion and severe vision loss, Imran Khan needs a full multidisciplinary evaluation of his underlying conditions at a tertiary hospital like Shifa International Islamabad,” read