• Mohsin Naqvi claims medical examination held up for three days due to her ‘veto’
• Says opposition leaders, doctors were briefed to their satisfaction
• Asad Qaiser terms Pims briefing ‘satisfactory’
• Aleema accuses Naqvi of reneging on ‘hospitalisation promise’; insists brother still unwell, wants own physician to examine reports
• TTAP blasts interior minister for ‘distorting’ facts, says only family has the right to decide about treatment

LAHORE / ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Tuesday accu­sed Aleema Khan of trying to exploit her incarcerated brother’s health issues for political gains, as Imran Khan’s sisters reiterated that he was not well, and must be treated in a private treatment facility.

Addressing a press conference in Lahore, the interior minister referred to Mr Khan’s recent medical checkup in jail, claiming that “everything was clear” as per the medical report.

“We do not want to politicise this,” he said, adding that there were certain “requests” which the authorities had granted, but it was not suitable to publicise them at the moment.

“Putting up such a show is extremely inappropriate, especially misleading people,” the minister said, referring to the PTI.

He particularly blamed Aleema Khan for the ongoing deadlock, and claimed that she had told the PTI that the “issue would die down” if the opposition accepted the government’s arrangements for the treatment of Mr Khan.

“The medical checkup could not take place for three days just because of her. On one hand, they claim to have great em­p­athy... On the other hand, politics has been done to the utmost [extent] over this.”

The interior minister then questioned why roads were being blocked by PTI protesters, despite all the steps taken for Mr Khan’s treatment.

“If your intentions were good, then you would have agreed on the first day. Alm­ost all political leaders were on board, but Aleema Khan sahiba vetoed them. She used to reject everything,” Mr Naqvi said.

Sharing details about the jail checkup of Imran Khan on Sunday, he said PTI interim chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan was invited to witness it, but he refused, citing party consultations.

“Our intention was that the checkup be performed in front of everyone,” he said, adding that the doctors were in Adiala for over an hour for the examination.

According to the minister, Barrister Gohar, along with the Senate and National Assembly opposition leaders — Allama Raja Nasir Abbas and Mehmood Khan Achakzai — and their preferred doctors, were then invited to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims).

There, the doctors who examined Imran Khan briefed the opposition leaders and spoke over the phone to the “two doctors” named by the PTI, with each conversation lasting for about 45 minutes. “They asked each and everything,” Mr Na­­­qvi said, adding that the doctor appe­ared satisfied with “the best treatment”.

According to Naqvi, opposition leaders also expressed satisfaction over the treatment and said they would inform their supporters about it.

Speaking about events that transpired over the course of last week, Mr Naqvi said that the government had sought the name of a “non-political” eye specialist for examining Imran Khan, but the other side refused and insisted on a family member, which was also agreed to.

He further said that the name of Kasim, who he said was a cousin, was also given by the party to come along, which was allowed.

“When both things were done, they said ‘no, not like this, you must admit him to a hospital for a week and we will not accept anything else’,” Mr Naqvi said.

The minister said the authorities would “100 per cent” have Imran hospitalised for “even two weeks” given that the doctors recommended it.

Separately, PTI leader Asad Qaiser, during an appearance on DawnNews, appeared to endorse Mr Naqvi’s claim about Aleema Khan “overruling” party leaders. He said the briefing given to party leaders following Mr Gohar’s Pims visit was “satisfying”. He, however, said the government should allow them to meet Mr Khan.

‘Contrary to facts’

The Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP), however, termed Mr Naqvi’s press conference “blatantly misleading and contrary to the facts”.

In a statement, the opposition alliance said that the government was attempting to “distort” facts and create a “fabricated narrative to cover up the deteriorating health and treatment meted out to” the incarcerated former premier.

“Concealing the facts from the nation is unacceptable,” the TTAP said.

It added that the “distrust of government doctors and demand for the presence of Imran’s personal physician during the medical examination was not an act of stubbornness but rather a unanimous decision taken by his family, the leadership of PTI and the TTAP”.

It said that only the incarcerated leader’s family “has the right to make a decision regarding his health”.

‘Imran not fine’

Meanwhile, in their own subsequent presser, Imran Khan’s sisters alleged that their brother was “not fine”, and sug­gested that his blood test be conducted and shown to his personal physicians.

According to Aleema Khan, they got his message via Bushra Bibi, who was allowed to meet her daughter in jail on Tuesday.

“Imran said that his vision was accurate but the problem started around three months back. Moreover, Imran said that he conveyed to the jail superintendent that he was not able to see, but no one bothered to provide him medical treatment for two weeks,” she said, quoting his message.

According to her, Mr Khan had suggested a case of criminal negligence against the jail superintendent.

She said the government initially agr­eed to move Imran Khan to Shifa Inter­na­tional Hospital, but later said the former PM would be treated at Al Shifa Eye Hospital.

“We shared the doctors’ names, but we were told that these names should be changed, so we changed the names. Later, we suggested that Dr Nosherwan Burki be allowed to meet Imran Khan, but then got a message that it was not possible,” she said.

She claimed that Mohsin Naqvi had assured them that Mr Khan would be treated at Shifa International; however, his guarantee was not implemented.

“They said that the sisters would not be allowed to meet Imran. We accepted it and suggested that doctors should be allowed to meet Imran Khan, but it was also rejected,” she said.

Aleema Khan, when asked about the claims made by Interior Minister Naqvi, said that she did not want to reply to such allegations.

She insisted that she was making every effort to ensure medical treatment for Imran Khan.

About the Pims briefing to PTI leaders, Dr Uzma Khan asked why non-medical persons were called and briefed about the ex-PM’s health.

She also claimed that, during her last meeting with her brother, Mr Khan had given her a message that he would be killed in jail, but she had decided not to share this at the time.

Published in Dawn, February 18th, 2026