ISLAMABAD:
Since the passage of the 26th Constitutional Amendment, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has struggled not only to secure substantive relief from the courts, but even to obtain timely fixation of its cases – particularly those involving its founder, Imran Khan, and his spouse – in the superior judiciary.
The party, whose founder and chief Imran Khan remains in jail for over two years, continues to knock on the doors of the judiciary for the hearings in his cases. However, progress has been at a snail’s pace, with PTI’s petitions still caught in a holding pattern across multiple forums.
At present, PTI leaders including family members are raising their voice to get access to Imran Khan’s doctors for examination of his eye.
Instead of approaching the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), PTI lawyers consistently approach the Supreme Court and seek to transfer Imran Khan to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad for medical treatment.
It is learned that the PTI lawyers namely Barrister Gohar Ayub, Salman Akram Raja, Latif Khosa, Ali Muhammad Khan and others met the SC registrar for fixation of matters related to Imran’s health.
Even KP’s Chief Minister Sohail Afridi in Pashto language appealed to Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi asking for SC intervention in Imran’s health issue.
It is expected that the SC will fix the case for hearing next week.
Legal experts believe that after the 27th amendment, the SC has no jurisdiction to grant relief in such cases. They say the SC cannot proceed in the case against the government’s wishes.
Even the executive has an option to challenge the SC case in the FCC where judges are appointed by the current government.
The SC is likely to take up the application filed by Imran Khan’s lawyer Latif Khosa next week seeking that Imran be immediately shifted to Shifa International Hospital for specialized treatment of his eye disease by a retina specialist.
It also sought access to his personal physicians, Drs. Faisal Sultan and Dr. Asim Yousaf, and requested that his family remain present during medical examinations and treatment.
“The petitioner should be immediately shifted to Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad, for proper treatment of his eyes by a retina specialist and given access to his personal physician Dr. Faisal Sultan and Dr. Asim Yousaf,” the petition said.
The application described Khan, 73, as being in declining health and said his condition was a matter of grave concern to both his family and the public. It added that he had repeatedly sought access to his personal doctors for independent examination and treatment of his deteriorating eye condition.
It is also requested that Khan’s family members be informed and given reasonable access during his medical treatment and that his legal counsel be provided with certified copies of all medical reports and examinations. It further sought regular access to his lawyer to ensure effective legal representation.
The lawyer has also moved a petition for early hearing in the SC, stating that subsequent developments, including medical examinations conducted on February 15 at Central Jail, Rawalpindi, and on February 23 at PIMS Hospital, without disclosure of medical reports to the petitioner’s lawyer or family members, have aggravated the urgency of the case. Continued uncertainty about his medical condition gives rise to serious concern and fear.
He therefore requested that the matter be settled by next week.
The application states that in the past few months, reports have emerged across Pakistan raising serious concerns regarding the deterioration of the petitioner’s vision and general health. These reports, combined with the continued denial of access to family members, have created deep uncertainty.
In these circumstances, the court was asked for appropriate relief. Your Lordships, vide order dated 10.02.2026, was pleased to appoint Advocate Salman Safdar, ASC, as friend of the court and permitted him to visit the petitioner in Central Jail, Rawalpindi and submit a written report regarding his living conditions and state of health.
Pursuant to the order, Salman Safdar had submitted a report which confirmed that Imran has been left with only approximately 15 percent vision in his right eye. It further records, particularly in paragraph 8, that despite petitioner’s repeated complaints of blurred and dangerous vision, timely or adequate medical intervention was not provided by the prison authorities, which ultimately resulted in complete loss of vision in one eye.”
It is stated that on the basis of these alarming findings, it is now shown that a medical check-up of the petitioner was conducted in Central Jail, Rawalpindi on 15.02.2026. Shockingly, the said examination was conducted in the complete absence of his family members, personal doctors or legal representatives. “No prior notice was given of the said medical check-up”.
“It is alleged in certain quarters that the family and party members were informed but voluntarily chose not to participate. These allegations are completely incorrect and unrealistic. At no time were the petitioner’s family members, personal doctors or counsellors informed. In fact, when the petitioner’s sisters approached the authorities, they were denied access to a doctor and instead they were denied access to a doctor. The petitioner’s personal doctors, family members and legal team were denied access, contrary to the recommendations noted by Barrister Salman Safdar, ASC, friend of the court, in his report at paragraph 21.”
“The petitioner has repeatedly sought access to his personal doctors, namely Dr. Faisal Sultan and Dr. Asim Yousaf, for independent examination and treatment of his worsening eye condition. Considering the findings in the report submitted to this Honorable Court, the conduct of a medical examination in secret, without notice to the family or independent doctors, has given rise to serious concerns.
“The continued exclusion of the petitioner’s family and personal physicians from information about his health has created inevitable doubts. Such secrecy not only undermines trust in the medical process, but also causes unease and concern among his family members, friends and supporters.”
