ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Gohar Khan said on Thursday the party had “grave concerns” about the health of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Khan after reports she was briefly moved to a hospital overnight for eye treatment.
The comments are the latest in a series of public statements by Khan’s opposition party regarding the medical condition and treatment of the couple, both of whom are incarcerated at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail and facing legal cases they say are politically motivated. Pakistani authorities deny allegations of political persecution or mistreatment in jail and say the former premier and his wife are receiving proper medical care.
“I was informed a while ago that Bushra Bibi was taken to hospital last night [Wednesday] for eye laser treatment and shifted back,” Gohar Khan said in a statement on Thursday.
“I have requested for a family meeting today. Awaiting that, we have grave concerns about Khan sab and Bushra Bibi’s health.”
Gohar demanded that the couple be shifted to a hospital from jail and
medical tests be conducted in the presence of family members and under the supervision of their chosen doctors.
“It is time to change this hide and seek approach to their health issues. Concern is growing. Immediate attention is required,” he said on X.
Bushra Khan, widely regarded as a spiritual guide and close confidante of Imran Khan, underwent surgery on her right eye at a private hospital in Rawalpindi in early April after being diagnosed with retinal detachment, according to a jail official who spoke to Arab News at the time.
The official said Bushra had complained of blurred vision before specialists diagnosed the condition and recommended surgery. She was later returned to Adiala Jail after a one-night hospital stay.
PTI had earlier expressed “deep alarm” over her condition and called for independent medical assessments as well as access to personal doctors and family members during treatment.
Imran Khan, 74, also underwent his fourth eye procedure at the state-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) hospital in Islamabad last month, where doctors reported “clinical improvement” following treatment related to an ongoing retinal condition.
Hospital officials said the former premier underwent an intravitreal injection procedure, commonly used to treat retinal disorders through medication administered directly into the eye.
Khan has remained jailed since 2023 after being convicted in multiple cases, including corruption, terrorism and treason. He says the cases are politically motivated.
Bushra Khan is currently serving a 17-year sentence in a case involving the sale of state gifts during her husband’s tenure as prime minister.
The former premier was removed from office in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in 2022, but remains arguably Pakistan’s most influential opposition figure.
