• PTI founder’s sister criticises top party lawyers for not actively pursuing jailed leader’s cases
• Barrister Gohar acknowledges ‘communication gap’ within party, says sincere efforts underway for ex-PM’s release
• Salman Akram Raja complains IHC not taking up contempt, health cases
• KP CM says IHC chief justice ‘refused to hear him’

ISLAMABAD: A day after Imran Khan was taken to hospital for a second round of treatment for his eye ailment, his sister Aleema Khan lashed out at the PTI leadership for blindsiding the family about his treatment, asserting that decisions regarding her brother’s health were the mandate of the family and his personal physicians.

Speaking to the media outside the high court on Wednesday, Ms Khan said the health of the PTI founder was the family’s primary concern, insisting that no decision regarding his treatment could be made without their permission.

She said they were very clear that Mr Khan should be treated at the Shifa International Hospital, because they wanted him to be examined at a place where “reports could not be hidden and where specialists could treat him under our doctors’ supervision”.

She, however, alleged that the party leadership did not keep the family in the loop about the treatment process.

She claimed that the family had recommended doctors, including Dr Aasim Yusuf , Dr Uzma Khan and Dr Nosherwan Barki, for examination at Shifa Inter­national Hospital. Still, their names were either rejected, or no response was given.

She also criticised Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi for blaming her for the delay in Mr Khan’s treatment. “Mohsin Naqvi sitting on TV saying that there was a delay in Imran Khan’s treatment — what treatment actually took place? Why is no one from the party challenging all these people speaking on TV? What treatment did Imran Khan receive? What guarantee did he give? Imran Khan received no treatment at all,” she added.

She claimed that information about meetings and medical arrangements was coming from Mr Naqvi instead of party representatives. “Will we get information from the minister or from our own party?”

The PTI leader’s sister also questioned the silence of senior party figures and office-bearers, naming Hamid Khan, Ali Zafar, Latif Khosa and Barrister Gohar, and asking why they were not actively pursuing the founder’s cases. “Where are the senior lawyers who were given party tickets? The founder repeatedly asked them to get his cases scheduled,” she said.

Expressing frustration, she remarked that the party appeared “as relaxed as if Imran Khan has been treated”, adding that if anyone could not bear the burden of the PTI founder’s narrative, they should step aside. “We will now communicate our message to the party — not in private — but in front of the media,” she said.

On the matter of the delay in cases being fixed, Aleema Khan said the PTI founder’s lawyers had been coming to court for the past 13 months to pursue his cases, but hurdles were being created.

“We come and sit in court for hours, but cases are not fixed,” she said, adding that on one occasion, when Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi appeared in court and attempted to speak, the chief justice left the courtroom.

Separately, lawyer Salman Safdar told media persons that they had tried everything to secure relief for Mr Khan from the courts, but it seemed like the court had “ceased to exist for litigants”.

He said the last time the court heard them was during the tenure of then-chief justice Aamer Farooq.

The lawyer said it was obvious that the treatment of Mr Khan was not possible in jail, adding that the family and lawyers had no knowledge about the health of the PTI chief.

‘Communication gap’

While the sisters of incarcerated PTI founder and other party leaders were present at the high court, PTI interim chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan also arrived and spoke to the media.

Responding to questions about his tardiness, Barrister Gohar explained that the party leadership had decided to pursue its cases before the Supreme Court, and he had therefore appeared there first, before coming to the IHC.

He acknowledged a communication gap within the party leadership, but stressed that all leaders were making sincere and coordinated efforts to secure Imran Khan’s release. He also congratulated newly elected office-bearers of the Islamabad High Court Journalists Association (IHCJA).

‘Orders not being enforced’

Meanwhile, senior lawyer Salman Akram Raja told reporters that court orders regarding meetings with the PTI founder were not being implemented. He added that the IHC had ordered two weekly meetings — one for lawyers and one for family members — but alleged that meetings were not arranged despite the appearance of the KP chief minister.

He claimed that contempt petitions filed over non-compliance were not heard and that the high court had become a “closed door” for the party.

He added that applications for medical examination had also not been taken up. “In one case related to [X account], the court directed that we meet the party founder and file a response. How can we file a reply without meeting him?” he questioned, alleging that proceedings continued without facilitating the meeting. He said the party would approach the Supreme Court if relief was not granted.

KP CM Sohail Afridi also spoke to reporters, saying he had attempted to address IHC Chief Justice Sarfaraz Dogar in open court, but was not heard. “I went to the rostrum while fasting and greeted the chief justice, but he did not respond,” he said, adding that PTI wanted to demonstrate peaceful protest rather than agitation.

Later, the IHC administration fixed the plea for an early hearing today (Thursday).

Zaki Abbas in Islamabad also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, February 26th, 2026