PTI expresses concern over reports of Imran Khan’s hospitalisation

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan on Wednesday voiced “grave concern” over reports suggesting that party founder and former prime minister Imran Khan was recently taken to a hospital in Islamabad and later returned to jail.

Addressing a press conference alongside senior PTI leaders in Islamabad, Barrister Gohar said that reports of Khan’s hospital visit had caused serious anxiety among party members and his family.

“A report has emerged that the PTI founder was brought to the hospital and then returned to jail. This news has caused severe worry for both the party and the family,” he said.

He added that neither the party leadership nor Khan’s family had been formally informed about the nature of his illness, demanding that a meeting with the former premier be arranged immediately.

“If not today, then at least tomorrow, a meeting should be allowed,” Barrister Gohar said.

Earlier, local media reported that Imran Khan was admitted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) on Saturday under tight security for a medical procedure. Citing a hospital doctor, the report said the former prime minister underwent a procedure related to an eye ailment and was shifted back to Adiala Jail the following day.

On Tuesday, the PTI, citing “credible media reports”, claimed that Khan had been diagnosed with Central Retinal Vein Occlusion (CRVO) in his right eye, a condition involving blockage of the retinal vein.

“According to medical experts who reportedly checked him in jail, this is an extremely sensitive and serious medical condition which, if not treated promptly and properly, carries a high risk of permanent damage to his eyesight,” the party said in a post on its official X account.

However, Imran Khan’s sister, Noreen Khan, dismissed reports regarding his health, saying he had no eye-related issues and was in good condition. She alleged that false information was being deliberately spread to create confusion.

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Barrister Gohar also lamented that PTI leaders and Khan’s legal team had been denied access to him for weeks.

“Our last meeting with the PTI founder was on December 20 last year. Until today, we have not been called to meet him. We even filed a petition requesting a visit, but permission was not granted,” he said.

Imran Khan has been incarcerated since August 2023 and is facing multiple cases, including charges related to corruption and terrorism, following his removal from office through a no-trust motion in April 2022.