LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi was shifted from Kot Lakhpat Jail to the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) on Tuesday after his health deteriorated, sources and hospital officials said.
Qureshi was brought to the hospital around 11am for detailed medical examinations. Sources said he had been experiencing high blood pressure, breathing difficulties, severe dizziness and reduced consciousness.
Doctors immediately started cardiac examinations and collected blood samples for laboratory tests. Hospital officials said a heart attack had not been confirmed. Specialists were also considering further investigations, including coronary angiography, depending on the initial test results. He was said to be out of immediate danger but remained under close medical observation.
The latest hospital transfer comes less than a week after Qureshi collapsed inside the jail on November 4. According to his lawyer, Barrister Taimoor Malik, the PTI leader became dizzy while walking in his barracks and fell, injuring his knee and arm.
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Jail authorities provided him with initial treatment and sent blood samples to Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital for analysis. On the advice of fellow PTI leader and physician Dr Yasmin Rashid, who is also in custody, his legal team sought a CT scan and further medical treatment.
Qureshi has been in custody since August 2023 in connection with multiple cases linked to the May 9, 2023 incidents. He has faced several health-related problems during his imprisonment.
In May 2025, he was shifted to the same cardiac hospital after complaining of chest pain. He remained under observation for several days before being taken back to jail. He has also received treatment for other health problems, including gallbladder-related complications, at the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute.
PTI leaders have repeatedly expressed concern over his medical care in detention and called for better treatment facilities. Further details about his condition are expected after doctors receive the results of the ongoing tests.
