Enough is said – anyone who cannot carry the weight of the founder’s narrative should step aside
Aleema Khan, sister of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, on Wednesday strongly criticized the party leadership for its inaction on her brother’s release from prison and his deteriorating health, saying those who were unable to bear the burden of the founder’s narrative should step aside.
“The party seems relaxed as if the founder’s treatment is already over. We do not see any action from the PTI on his health issue. Enough is enough – anyone who cannot bear the weight of the founder’s narrative should step aside,” she said while addressing the media outside the Islamabad High Court.
Imran has been in custody since August 2023, serving a sentence in Adiala prison in a £190m corruption case. He also faces pending charges under the Anti-Terrorism Act in connection with the May 9, 2023 protests.
Read more: Khosa raises concerns about Imran’s health
PTI has intensified calls for his release after a medical report submitted to the court stated that the vision in his right eye had decreased to 15 percent. However, government officials maintain that he is receiving appropriate medical care.
Aleema further emphasized that no decisions or statements regarding Imran’s health should be made without her family’s consent. “The party should not issue any statements or make any decisions about the founder’s health without our permission,” she said.
She also criticized the party for not responding to allegations made by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. “The information we are receiving from Mohsin Naqvi should have been shared with us by lawyer Gohar,” she added.
Read more: The Medical Board reports improvement in Imran Khan’s eye condition
Aleema accused the government of pressuring the official doctors who treated her brother. “We have been informed that public doctors are being pressured. We will now communicate our message to the party not privately but in front of the media,” she said.
She also questioned why Imran Khan’s lawyers did not ensure that his cases were heard in court. “We sit for hours in court, but Justice Dogar does not take up the cases. He was brought from the Lahore High Court specifically for this purpose – to avoid taking up Imran’s cases,” she alleged.
Meanwhile, Imran was brought to PIMS for follow-up eye treatment ie. second dose of anti-VEGF intravitreal injection in the wee hours of Tuesday. Prior to the operation, he was examined by a board of specialist doctors, which included a senior cardiologist who also performed echocardiography and an EKG.
Read also: Imran agreed to apologize on 9 May
Last week, a medical board that examined him reported an improvement in his vision and recommended against transferring him to a hospital. According to his medical report, his right eye vision 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 investigation in Adiala Jail.
According to the medical report, the anterior segment of both eyes was normal and the cornea was clear. It noted mild intragel hemorrhage at the edge of the right eye and moderate retinal hemorrhage in all four quadrants. The macular swelling in the right eye was decreasing, with the macular thickness reduced from 550 to 350 microns.
The board outlined ongoing medication and treatment and recommended OCT angiography and fundus fluorescein angiography after completion of anti-VEGF therapy, the report added, while no recommendation was made for Imran’s transfer to a hospital.
