Dr Uzma Khan addressed a press conference in Islamabad on Friday following her visit to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder while he was taken to a hospital, detailing accounts of his medical check-up amid ongoing concerns regarding his detention conditions. As reported by indiatoday.in, former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was brought to Islamabad’s government-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) to undergo evaluations for his blood pressure and eyes.
Hospital Visit and PIMS Check-Up Allegations
During her briefing in Islamabad, Dr Uzma Khan shared her account of visiting her brother at PIMS, describing a dim environment during the evaluation. She alleged that he had a bandage over one eye and was moved through the dark facility guided only by mobile phone light. “There was darkness in the PIMS, and he was taken in the light of a mobile phone,” she stated, noting that her eyes welled up as she raised concerns over his health.
Dr Uzma Khan claimed that no blood test was performed during the check-up and questioned the medical oversight, stating, “We don’t know who the doctor was.” She asserted that his condition was “not good” and that he told his sisters he was being “severely tortured” inside prison while lacking anyone to listen to his voice. Furthermore, she alleged that his overall health had degraded due to a lack of human contact inside Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, adding that he had not been provided with reading materials or a television.
Court Orders and Competing Medical Logistics
The hospital visit followed a directive issued on August 18 by the Supreme Court, which ordered that the 73-year-old PTI founder be taken to the privately owned Shifa International Hospital within two days. The court’s order stemmed from a medical report indicating he was suffering from ‘level three plus’ anxiety, a condition defined as severe anxiety in which worry overwhelms daily tasks, causes intense physical strain and disrupts clear thinking. The Supreme Court directed that a medical board be established to evaluate and treat him, allowed for one family meeting per week during his time at Shifa hospital, and stipulated that he must stay there until the next court hearing on September 16.
Logistical discrepancies marked the night of his transfer. Zulfi Bukhari, Imran Khan’s international media spokesperson, stated that the PTI founder had been moved to Shifa International Hospital in line with the Supreme Court order. However, Dr Faisal, Imran Khan’s personal physician, stated that he had been taken to Shifa International Hospital around 8 p.m. on Thursday, only to be informed later by hospital officials that the former prime minister was unlikely to arrive. “I had no meeting with Imran Khan,” Dr Faisal said after being driven back.
Government authorities had filed a petition on Wednesday seeking a review and recall of the order, but the registrar’s office returned it on Thursday due to incomplete paper books. Following his examination at PIMS, where doctors from Al-Shifa hospital were also present, Imran Khan was returned to Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi early Friday.
Legal Custody and Ongoing Demands
Imran Khan has remained in custody at Adiala Jail since his arrest on August 5, 2023, in a corruption case. Supporters and relatives have repeatedly raised allegations of human rights violations, asserting that authorities have restricted his access to proper medical care, legal counsel, and family meetings. A central medical issue throughout his detention has involved an eye condition identified in late January as right central retinal vein occlusion, which previously prompted multiple medical transfers to PIMS and heightened demands for his transfer to a private hospital. Furthermore, earlier in the month, Pakistani officials were also charged by Amnesty International with forcing him into extended, unauthorized solitary confinement while systematically denying him the right to a fair trial.
Legal proceedings and institutional oversight are scheduled to resume ahead of the next court hearing on September 16.
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