It says if the high court orders or doctors recommend it, he will be admitted to any hospital where treatment is available.
Rana Sanaullah, advisor to the prime minister and leader of the PML-N. Photo: APP/File
Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah on Wednesday said Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan could be shifted to a hospital if ordered by a court, amid the party’s demands regarding his health and calls for him to be shifted to Islamabad’s Shifa International Hospital.
Imran has been detained since August 2023, serving time in Adiala jail in a £190 million corruption case. He also faces pending lawsuits under the Anti-Terrorism Law in connection with the May 9, 2023 protests.
Read more: Khosa expresses concern over Imran’s health
The PTI has intensified calls for his release after a medical report submitted to the court claimed that vision in his right eye had decreased to 15 percent. However, government officials maintain that he is receiving adequate medical care.
Speaking in an interview on the program ‘Capital Talk‘ In a private media outlet, Sanaullah said that the PTI founder was in judicial custody and not under executive detention or any other form.
He added that as per the directions of the high court, a team of medical specialists examined Imran and observed that hospitalization was not necessary.
Read: Aleema criticizes PTI leadership for silence on Imran’s health
“If a court now issues orders or doctors recommend his hospitalization, he will be admitted to any hospital where treatment is available,” Sanaullah said.
Referring to restrictions on meetings between the jailed PTI founder and party leaders, he said the restrictions were imposed after alleged violations of jail rules by PTI leaders and Imran’s family.
“Rumors about his health started doing the rounds after the restrictions were implemented,” he said, adding that to address the concerns, a meeting was arranged between Imran and his sister in jail.
Sanaullah emphasized that the satisfaction of the family or the party does not affect the legal process.
“The law does not consider these things; it only obliges the government to ensure that if a person is in judicial or executive custody and falls ill, they are provided with the highest level of medical treatment. This has been strictly followed in this case,” he said.
According to Sanaullah, five senior eye specialists examined Imran twice and recommended the treatment being provided to them. “All the medical reports are available. If any further relief is sought, the Supreme Court will have to be approached,” he added.
Also read: Khosa expresses concern over Imran’s health
Speaking on the same programme, PTI parliamentary leader Shahid Khatak said the family did not trust the doctors currently treating Imran.
“We have three demands: that a personal doctor be present, that an ophthalmologist examine him and that two or three family members be allowed to meet him,” he said. “At least one of his sisters should be able to see him.”
Khatak said the eye is a sensitive organ and the instruments required for treatment were available at Shifa International Hospital. “He must be transferred there in the presence of doctors and family members, and the family must be informed of any treatment or procedure performed,” he added.
Khatak expressed concern about Imran’s health and asked who would be responsible in case of any serious medical complications.
“Their health is a top priority and should not be seen as a political issue,” he said, adding that Imran’s sisters’ concerns were understandable given that they did not have access to their doctors.
Imran was taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences for follow-up eye treatment, i.e. a second dose of anti-VEGF intravitreal injection in the early hours of Tuesday. Before the procedure, he was examined by a specialist committee, which included a consultant cardiologist who also performed echocardiography and ECG.
Read more: Medical board reports improvement in Imran Khan’s eye condition
Last week, a medical board that examined him reported an improvement in his vision and did not recommend transferring him to a hospital. According to his medical report, his vision in his right eye has improved from 6/36 to 6/9, while his left eye maintains 6/6 vision with the use of glasses. The assessment was carried out by Dr Nadeem Qureshi and Dr Arif, after a detailed examination at Adiala Jail.
According to the medical report, the anterior segment of both eyes was normal and the cornea was clean. Mild intragel hemorrhage was noted at the edge of the right eye and moderate retinal hemorrhage was noted in all four quadrants. The swelling of the macula in the right eye was decreasing and the macular thickness was reduced from 550 to 350 microns.
The board described the ongoing medication and treatment and recommended OCT angiography and fundus fluorescein angiography after completion of anti-VEGF therapy, the report added, although no recommendation was made for Imran’s transfer to a hospital.
