Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi with PTI leaders and KP assemblymen outside Adiala Jail on January 29, 2026. SCREENGRAB
RAWALPINDI/ISLAMABAD:
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi announced on Thursday that he along with PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja and other party workers would spend the night at Adiala Jail Road after they were denied a meeting with party founding chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan.
Afridi’s visit came after PTI raised concerns about Imran’s health.
“Our leader was secretly moved from prison to a hospital on Saturday night. The question is why the situation reached a point where hospitalization became necessary, why his illness was concealed and why his family was not informed. If the condition was so serious, why was it not announced?” asked the KP Chief Minister while addressing the media.
“Why wasn’t his personal doctor taken into confidence? What were the motives behind hiding this for so many days? The life of [PTI] the founder has been threatened. The nation will not tolerate any compromise with his life.”
Earlier in the day, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed that Imran had undergone a medical procedure for an eye disease at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad on Saturday evening.
This was for the first time Imran was taken out of Adiala jail since he was arrested in August 2023 after being convicted in several cases.
On Thursday, the KP Chief Minister, accompanied by other members of the provincial cabinet, reached Adiala Road, but the police did not allow them to go past the factory’s check post.
Afridi demanded that the PTI founder be allowed to meet his family, party members and lawyers to “prevent further deterioration of the situation”.
“We have no confidence in these people. The founder has been wrongfully imprisoned and an attempt has already been made on his life. His family was kept uninformed [about the medical procedure]and he has been treated with complete disregard. Neither the founder nor his family have any confidence in the government. Hiding the founder’s ill health amounts to “medical terrorism”, the KP chief minister said.
Afridi stressed that every person has the right to be treated by their own doctor.
Without naming PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif, the KP Chief Minister sarcastically said that “the refugee who fled to London had falsely claimed a drop in platelets and a hue and cry was raised [for him]”.
Expressing “serious concern” over Imran’s health, Afridi said the media should raise its voice over the PTI founder’s health, noting that the nation was “rightfully angry” over his medical conditions.
The KP Chief Minister again voiced a complaint against Nawaz, “just as votes were raised for a ‘convicted thief’, the same attention should be given to [PTI] founder”.
Speaking on the occasion, Raja said under Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) order that it was PTI’s leaders and supporters right to meet Imran.
According to the IHC order, he said, a list of persons eligible to meet him had been submitted to the jail administration, but they were still denied access.
Afridi held a meeting near the factory’s check post at a nearby kiosk after the prison’s visiting hours ended. He stated that they would continue their protest on Adiala Road overnight until Imran is allowed to meet his family, personal doctors and lawyers.
He also stated that all the members of the provincial assembly had been informed to attend to strengthen their demands.
Tarar about Imran’s health
After days of speculation, the federal government confirmed on Thursday that jailed PTI leader Imran Khan was taken to Islamabad’s main hospital for eye treatment last weekend, sparking strong reactions from his party, which accused authorities of keeping them in the dark about their leader’s health.
Reports had circulated that the former prime minister was taken to PIMS on Saturday night, but authorities initially refused to confirm the development.
On Thursday, Tarar broke his silence and confirmed that Imran underwent a medical procedure at PIMS in Islamabad on the night of January 24.
Interestingly, the state-run PTV carried Tarar’s statement mentioning the PTI leader by name.
Tarar said, according to state media, that the procedure lasted about 20 minutes following the recommendations of ophthalmologists who examined Khan inside Adiala prison.
“Eye specialists assessed him at Adiala and informed that a minor procedure at PIMS was necessary. He was taken there on Saturday evening for further examination and treatment with his written consent,” the minister said.
According to Tarar, Imran’s vital signs remained stable throughout the procedure and he was safely returned to Adiala Jail afterwards under doctors’ instructions. “He is completely healthy. All prisoners have access to medical care as per the rules and Imran Khan is no exception,” the minister added.
Prior to the government confirmation, PTI had sought a clarification. PTI chairman Barrister Gohar at a press conference on Wednesday raised concern over reports that Imran Khan was suffering from an eye disease that could cause permanent damage and demanded a meeting between the former prime minister and his family.
After Tarar’s confirmation, the PTI strongly condemned the federal government, the Punjab government and the Adiala jail administration for “secretly” transferring Imran to PIMS, deliberately keeping his family members, lawyers and party leadership uninformed and denying access to his personal doctors.
Imran’s son’s tweet
Imran Khan’s son, Qasim Khan, also wrote on X, expressing serious concern over his father’s health:
“My father has now spent over 900 days on death row with no family visits and no access to his personal doctors. Credible reports confirm that he has been diagnosed with central retinal vein occlusion, a dangerous blockage that can lead to permanent vision loss if not treated urgently. Yet the authorities continue to block his treatment and deny him the doctors he trusts. This right to speak to him is not even denied. cruelty I urge everyone human rights defenders to act before it is too late.
Political leaders condemn ‘secret transfer’
Newly appointed Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, criticized the transfer, saying it was criminal negligence and a flagrant violation of the constitution. He added that the state is fully responsible for the life and health of a prisoner and any damage will lie with those holding him in custody.
Opposition Leader in the Senate, Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, called keeping Imran Khan away from his family and personal doctors and secretly moving him to the hospital “inhumane” and a grave violation of human rights. He warned that any delay, ambiguity or denial of medical access in Khan’s case would have serious consequences and cannot be tolerated.
