ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has expressed serious concern over reports about the health of party founder Imran Khan, saying the information received by the party was not encouraging.
Speaking to reporters in Islamabad, Gohar said the party had received important instructions regarding Imran Khan’s health following a meeting with him. Barrister Salman Safdar had also met the incarcerated former prime minister and briefed the party on the interaction.
Gohar said PTI had filed a petition seeking implementation of the Supreme Court’s August 18 order and requested an early hearing to ensure that the court’s directions were followed. He stressed that Imran Khan’s health could not be compromised and that the order must be implemented in letter and spirit.
The PTI chairman also called for an end to the arrests of party leaders and workers, saying the long march had concluded and the provincial government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had already been removed. He further demanded the immediate release of Imran Khan’s three sisters.
Barrister Salman Safdar’s meeting with Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi at Adiala Jail came after months of restricted access. Safdar said the 40-minute meeting was his first with Imran in seven months and with Bushra in 11 months.
In a post on social media platform X, Safdar said both had briefed him on their health and living conditions in jail and given him fresh instructions on some legal matters. He added that the meeting was too short to discuss all pending cases.
The Supreme Court’s August 18 interim order directed authorities to shift Imran Khan to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad within 48 hours for examination and treatment by a multidisciplinary medical board. The board was to include his personal physician, Dr Faisal Sultan, while his sister, Dr Uzma Khan, was also to be associated with his medical care.
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However, Imran was taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) on August 20 instead of Shifa International Hospital. The government cited security concerns and subsequently filed a review petition challenging the Supreme Court’s directions. PTI has maintained that the original order was not implemented in its true spirit.
Imran Khan’s sisters, Aleema Khan, Dr Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi, have also faced detention under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) law following PTI’s protest activities in September. The party has repeatedly demanded their release, arguing that their continued detention is unjustified.
