The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday dismissed a petition seeking the transfer of PTI founder Imran Khan to Shifa International Hospital for eye treatment, and ordered constitution of a new medical board for the former prime minister’s check-up.
Pronouncing the verdict reserved earlier in the day, the IHC bench, comprising Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir and Justice Khadim Hussain Sumroo, directed the authorities concerned to inform Imran Khan’s family in accordance with the jail rules.
The court also directed to allow PTI lawyers to meet the incarcerated PTI founder.
Medical board member Dr Nadeem Qureshi should remain in contact with the family regarding Imran Khan’s treatment.
Earlier, the court reserved its verdict on the petition seeking transfer of Imran Khan to Shifa International Hospital for medical treatment, following earlier claims that he was left with 15 percent vision in the right eye.
The proceedings saw heated exchanges between the defence, the state’s legal team, and family members of the former prime minister.
On March 2, the IHC was moved with a plea seeking the immediate transfer of the PTI founder to Shifa International Hospital for specialised eye treatment.
The plea — filed under Section 561-A Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) by senior counsel Sardar Latif Khosa — alleged that jail authorities have been conducting medical examinations in complete secrecy and demanded that Imran’s personal physicians be granted access to him.
The petition further claimed that Imran — now 73 years old and in jail since August 2023 — has been left with only approximately 15pc vision in his right eye.
The application cites a report submitted to the Supreme Court by amicus curiae Barrister Salman Safdar, which confirmed that despite the petitioner’s repeated complaints of “blurred and hazardous vision,” no timely or adequate medical intervention was undertaken by jail authorities, ultimately resulting in complete loss of vision in one eye.
Imran Khan’s family and party have been raising concerns about his health since his eye ailment — right central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) — came to light in late January.
Concerns grew after partial vision loss in the right eye was reported via a lawyer who met Imran upon the SC’s intervention. Doctors later confirmed that, with glasses, the PTI founder had 6/9 partial vision in the right eye.
On March 3, the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), where Imran Khan was being treated, said that the PTI founder was examined at Adiala jail for the follow-up treatment of his eye ailment, which showed that his vision had “improved remarkably”.
