Party alleges secret hospital transfer plan for ex-PM Imran, calls it 'risk to his life'
- Last updated: February 15, 2026 | 15:53 ..
Tariq Butt, Gulf Today Correspondent / IANS
The opposition Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) party has alleged that its founder and former prime minister Imran Khan is being covertly shifted from jail to a hospital for medical treatment, describing the reported move as a serious breach of his fundamental rights and warning that it endangers his life.
The party claimed that even Imran Khan's family has not been taken into confidence regarding the alleged transfer.
Urging authorities to immediately facilitate proper medical care, PTI maintained that any medical examination or treatment must be conducted in the presence of his personal doctors and at least one member of his family.
Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has referred to a Supreme Court directive, saying that under the orders of the chief justice, Imran Khan’s treatment should be completed by February 16. "The matter should not be politicised, and the treatment must proceed in line with court directives,” he said and called for calm and restraint amid concerns over his health, urging party workers to remain peaceful and vigilant while pressing for his immediate treatment.
Al Shifa Eye Trust Hospital Rawalpindi President Gen (retd) Rehmat Khan said that 10 rooms for juvenile patients, recently built in the Administration Block of the facility, have been assigned for the purpose.
He said the patient could be moved through a special channel to the operation theatre from his room. The Department of Vitreo-retina has been sensitised about the patient and treatment that provides specialised care for retinal pathologies. Retinal diseases, such as macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular diseases, complex retinal detachment, retinal vascular diseases and posterior segment trauma are treated in it.
For months, Imran Khan's relatives and legal representatives have accused prison officials of failing to ensure adequate healthcare for their leader, according to local media reports.
The former prime minister is grappling with multiple health concerns, including reported vision loss in his right eye, as reported by the leading Pakistani daily, The Express Tribune.
In a statement, PTI said, "Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf expresses grave concern over reports and speculations suggesting a plan to secretly shift our Leader Imran Khan to a hospital for treatment without taking his family into confidence. Such an act is a blatant violation of both fundamental human rights and prevailing legal requirements."
The party further argued that prison regulations in Pakistan require officials to notify family members and designated doctors before arranging any medical check-up, treatment, or transfer of an inmate.
"We totally reject any form of secrecy surrounding the health of the former Prime Minister. Hiding facts once again — reminiscent of past patterns — is tantamount to deliberately putting Imran Khan's health and life at risk," the statement added.
Calling the delay in providing treatment "extremely unfortunate and inhumane," PTI demanded that medical intervention begin without further postponement, asserting that "no compromise whatsoever will be made regarding the health and well-being of our leader."
On Friday, members of Pakistan's opposition alliance organised a sit-in near Parliament House to highlight concerns over Imran Khan's deteriorating health in custody.
At the same time, the Tehrik Tahafuz-i-Ayeen Pakistan (TTAP), an alliance that includes PTI, launched a protest outside Parliament House, declaring it would continue until Khan is admitted to Al-Shifa Hospital for treatment.
Earlier on Thursday, the Supreme Court of Pakistan directed the authorities to set up a medical board to examine Khan's eyes following reports that he had suffered vision loss in one eye.
Imran Khan has been incarcerated since August 2023, when he was arrested at his Lahore residence after being convicted in a corruption case.
He is currently lodged at the high-security Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.