THE government could have handled the matter better. It should not have taken leaks and public pressure for it to issue formal confirmation that former prime minister Imran Khan had indeed been taken to a public hospital in Islamabad for a medical procedure in recent days. Though the information minister was careful in wording his statement on the matter, and it is not clear exactly what the procedure entailed and why it was deemed necessary, Mr Khan’s condition was apparently serious enough that it warranted specialist intervention in a controlled clinical environment. It is also concerning that this information only came to light days after the procedure had already taken place, only after information was ‘leaked’ to a journalist. When the matter was reported, Mr Khan’s family did not seem to have been aware that he was unwell, nor that he had received treatment. Their subsequent suspicions and trepidation are therefore understandable from a humanitarian perspective.

It was reported yesterday evening that the government has agreed to release a copy of Mr Khan’s medical report to his family. It took a daylong sit-in outside the Supreme Court by his well-wishers to secure this ‘concession’. It bears remembering that Mr Khan is a former prime minister of this country and therefore entitled to certain privileges in prison. His treatment should be no different from the treatment other political leaders have received during their time in jail. Just as one example, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had access to his personal physician when he fell seriously ill during his last stint in prison, and was eventually even allowed to fly abroad for treatment of his medical condition. The current government has set a poor precedent and should make amends. Mr Khan should be given access to the doctors he trusts and can consult with without inhibition, and his family should be kept informed of his physical well-being.

Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2026