On Tuesday, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar confirmed that former Prime Minister and PTI founder Imran Khan is in good health following concerns over his well-being during his imprisonment at Adiala Jail. Gohar said that government medical specialists, including an ENT specialist, are being allowed to see Khan following the PTI sounding the alarm over his health. A medical test held on 10 October assured that Khan had exercised for an hour and was in stable condition. Gohar promised that detailed medical reports will be shared soon.
This is the first time that since the voting began on October 3, no lawyer, family member, or PTI leader had been allowed to meet Khan despite his alleged health issues. PTI filed requests with the Interior Ministry to allow access to either a family member or a health professional. Several days of tension in the election campaign hub of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf marked the official appeal that PTI’s leader was in poor health.
Taking a cue from these developments, PTI called off its planned protest in Islamabad, as it would have coincided with the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit that put several international dignitaries into Islamabad under heavy security. The government had earlier maintained a stern posture; issued warnings against harsh measures if PTI goes ahead with the demonstrations. However, after persuasions from both sides, the government managed to fulfill some of the party’s demands, such as sending Khan for his medical checkup and getting the party leaders to meet with their imprisoned chairman.
Jemima Goldsmith Demands Imran Khan’s Freedom
Imran Khan’s former wife, Jemima Goldsmith, called out the treatment of Imran Khan inside the prison on her social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Tuesday. She mentioned that his weekly telephone calls with sons, Sulaiman and Kasim who live in London, remained suspended, and that all visits by family and lawyers were banned since September 10. Jemima further complains that Khan was isolated in solitary confinement, cut off from the world outside, which is of grave concerns for his safety and well-being.
In her post, Jemima demanded the immediate release of Khan, mentioned his isolation and lack of communication. She reminded that Khan’s family is still being harassed by the arrests of his sisters, Uzma and Aleema Khan and detention of his nephew. She summarized it as an attempt by Pakistani authorities to silence opposition by clamping down on all PTI members and supporters.
Political Background
Imran Khan has been embroiled in court cases ever since his overthrow by a no-confidence vote in the parliament at the end of April 2022. Since his ouster, Imran Khan has been charged with several corruption cases, which he dismissed as absolutely politicized. The latest such charge for which Imran Khan was arrested in August 2023 has caused massive agitations among his followers and strengthened political tensions in Pakistan.
The PTI continues to clamor for an overturning of Khan’s convictions and a fair judicial process. Pakistani government remains steadfast with its demands that Khan, and his party should be given the alleged incitement that had brought unrest and destabilized the nation. Issues on Khan’s health and treatment continue to be an area of tension, wherein domestic and international concerns have been raised about his case.
Since now, the situation is closely monitored by PTI supporters as they await all information regarding the medical report, in addition to others, which detail the latest developments in the court trial of Khan.
