PTI leader Dr. Yasmin Rashid. PHOTO: ARCHIVE
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Central Secretary Information Sheikh Waqas Akram on Tuesday rejected reports circulating about the health of Dr Yasmin Rashid, saying she was alive and in Kot Lakhpat jail.
Dr Yasmin, 74, a gynecologist and cancer survivor, has been in custody since May 12, 2023, facing multiple charges related to the unrest sparked by the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan. His health has repeatedly deteriorated, with hospitalizations in May and July 2024, and again in 2025, when he suffered severe abdominal pain and difficulty breathing.
“Dr Yasmin, Alhamdulillah, is alive and in Kot Lakhpat jail, sacrificing imprisonment and hardship for the sake of her leader Imran Khan’s ideology,” Akram said in a post on X.
He said all the news being spread about Dr Yasmin was false and had no connection with reality, and urged the public not to believe rumors about her.
Dr Yasmin also issued a statement through her lawyer, Advocate Rana Mudassar Umar, seeking to clarify reports circulating about a will.
Umar said in a video statement that he, along with PTI leaders, met Dr Yasmin at Kot Lakhpat jail during the hearing after a week.
“Dr. Yasmin told me that she is fine and has not signed any type of will, however, she thanked the community and all the people who prayed for her,” he added.
According to her lawyer, Dr. Yasmin was recommended to undergo spinal surgery.
The statement said Yasmin’s lawyer had approached the courts seeking permission and redress in relation to her medical condition, but no conclusive response or urgent action had reportedly been taken so far.
Umar said she was being treated for cancer and was suffering from a respiratory illness, adding that spinal surgery had been recommended.
“We requested it from the court. The court ordered that his treatment be done immediately. But due to certain risks, there could be no permanent treatment,” Umar said.
He further said that Dr Yasmin had stated in her message that she was serving her sentence for the rule of law, for the betterment of future generations and citizens of Pakistan.
PTI lawyer Taimur Malik also rejected social media posts about the life and well-being of Dr Yasmin and party leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi, calling them false and misleading.
Read more: ATC sentences Dr Yasmeen to 10 years in jail and acquits Qureshi
In a statement, Malik said both PTI leaders were fine and were currently in Kot Lakhpat jail.
“This has also been confirmed by Mudassar Umer with the prison authorities,” Malik said.
He said the prison trial scheduled for Tuesday had been postponed this week, meaning PTI’s legal team would not be able to meet them in person during the day.
Malik, however, said Dr Yasmin and Ejaz Chaudhry were facing serious and worsening medical conditions, adding that the courts and prison authorities were aware of the situation.
