• Eye exam conducted, blood sample taken, blood pressure checked; report expected soon
• Party rejects govt’s examination; demands presence of family, personal physicians
• Jail officials dismiss talk of PTI founder being transferred to hospital as ‘rumours’
• Opposition sit-in enters third day
• HRCP urges ‘uninterrupted access’ to treatment

ISLAMABAD: A team of doctors examined PTI founder Imran Khan at Adiala Jail on Sunday and left the premises after around an hour, sources said, as the party rejected the inspection conducted in the absence of his family and personal physicians, terming it “malicious”.

On Feb 12, Mr Khan, currently incarcerated at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, claimed that only 15 per cent vision remained in his right eye. The Supreme Court subsequently ordered the formation of a medical team to examine him, with a direction that he be allowed to speak to his children over the phone. The court ordered that both the eye examination and phone calls be conducted before Feb 16 (Monday).

Although government figures on Saturday hinted that Mr Khan would soon be taken to a hospital, no such development had taken place by Sunday afternoon.

At 3:45pm, however, Mr Khan’s sister Noreen Khanum wrote on X that an ambulance had reached the jail to shift him to a hospital. “But without taking us and Khan Sahib’s personal physicians into confidence, this is not acceptable to us!” she added.

According to sources, the jail superintendent dismissed the development as “rumour”, stressing that Mr Khan was being examined and not being taken anywhere at that stage.

“The medical team will examine Imran Khan’s eyes, conduct different tests, and decide whether there is a requirement to move him to a hospital or if he can be retained in jail and continue the treatment here,” the superintendent was quoted as saying by the sources.

At about 5:30pm, sources said the eye examination, carried out by a team of five doctors, was completed.

“A detailed eye examination and blood sampling were carried out, while his blood pressure was also checked,” they said, adding that the medical team waited for around two and a half hours before the examination. The team brought eye examination equipment with them and its report was “likely to be compiled soon”, the sources said.

Mr Khan underwent a medical procedure at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) in Islamabad on the night of Jan 24, a development that was confirmed days later.

Shortly after Sunday’s examination, PTI said it would not accept the inspection or any resulting report, arguing that the government’s stance was “deemed malicious” without the presence of Mr Khan’s family and personal doctors.

“PTI categorically rejects the recent conduct of the government and jail administration regarding the medical examination of former prime minister Imran Khan’s eye in Adiala Jail,” the party said on X.

PTI said the matter was not about the presence of party leadership, but the “constitutional, moral and legal right” of Imran Khan’s family to make decisions in sensitive medical matters. It added that the family could not make an informed decision unless Mr Khan’s personal doctors were present during the examination.

Earlier in the day, Mr Khan’s sister Aleema Khanum said the party would not accept any medical board formed without the approval of the former premier’s personal doctors.

Referring to a post by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on Saturday about establishing a medical board, she said the family had also heard reports that Mr Khan would be taken to Al-Shifa Eye Hospital in Rawalpindi.

“Our demand has been clear from the beginning. Imran Khan shall not be given any treatment without the presence and approval of his personal doctors and family members,” she said, adding that the family did not accept “any medical board they set up and control”.

Earlier on Sunday, Imran Khan’s long-time personal physicians, Dr Aasim Yusuf and Dr Faisal Sultan, issued a joint video statement, reiterating that the former premier needed a comprehensive medical check-up that could be provided at Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad.

They said he required urgent retina specialist care for central retinal vein occlusion and severe vision loss, as well as a multidisciplinary evaluation at a tertiary hospital.

Sit-ins continue

Meanwhile, the sit-in by the main opposition alliance, Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayin-i-Pakistan (TTAP), at Parliament House over concerns regarding Mr Khan’s health entered its third day on Sunday. The alliance has said the sit-in will continue until he is taken to a hospital of his personal doctors’ choice.

Speaking to reporters, PTI MNA and former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser said the party and the alliance would continue the sit-in to pressure the government. “We will not compromise on Imran Khan’s health,” he said, adding that the government was “testing the stamina” of the party.

Mr Qaiser told Dawn the opposition had decided to approach the Supreme Court on Monday for medical treatment and related relief, adding that Advocate Latif Khosa would be requested to file a petition seeking Imran Khan’s transfer to hospital, family access and inclusion of a doctor of their choice in the medical board.

TTAP spokesperson Akhunzada Hussain Yousafzai told Dawn sit-ins were being held at three locations, i.e. inside Parliament House, outside Parliament Lodges and at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House, where the KP chief minister has been staging a sit-in. He alleged that food and water were not being allowed to reach the protesters inside Parliament House.

A TTAP leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they had been told the previous night that Imran Khan would be shifted to Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad, but later received messages suggesting the sit-in should be called off first.

Replying to a question, the leader said that KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi also contacted government representatives to make it clear that the situation could go out of his control if the issue was not resolved soon.

He added that the government representatives told them that the interior minister was in Sri Lanka, while the National Assembly and Senate chairs were also abroad, making it “difficult to decide” for the authorities.

In a statement, the Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) said Senate opposition leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas was in bad health and claimed a delegation that arrived to deliver food was not allowed to enter.

The TTAP also alleged that access to food, water and medicines had been blocked for protesters inside Parliament House for a third consecutive day, calling it a violation of democratic and constitutional values. It said access to medicines was also blocked for Senator Abbas.

HRCP calls for ‘uninterrupted access’

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed “grave concern” over reports regarding the deteriorating health of prisoners affiliated with the PTI, particularly Imran Khan and former Punjab health minister Yasmin Rashid.

The rights body urged the interior ministry, the Punjab Home Department and prison authorities to ensure that inmates were allowed immediate, independent medical examinations and “uninterrupted access to prescribed treatment”.

Awaam Pakistan leader Dr Zafar Mirza, referring to government assurances and Imran Khan speaking with his sons by phone, said peaceful protest had played a role in recent developments. However, he said the former premier still needed access to a personal physician and family, and that his cases should be heard without “politically motivated delays”.

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2026