Pakistan Rejects Claims Over Imran Khan Prison Care

Pakistan Denies Allegations Against Imran Khan

Pakistan’s government has rejected allegations from the family and political party of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan that he has faced cruelty, mental torture, solitary confinement and medical neglect.

The Ministry of Information said the allegations were baseless and not supported by prison or medical records. The government said Khan is being held as a convicted prisoner serving sentences imposed by courts following judicial proceedings.

Family and PTI Raise Concerns

Khan’s family and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party accused authorities of failing to follow a Supreme Court order concerning his medical examination. They said Khan was taken to a government hospital rather than Shifa International Hospital, which had been designated by the court.

Khan’s sister Uzma Khan said she was present at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad when her brother was brought there. She also said Khan told her that he had been kept in solitary confinement, which she described as mental torture.

Government Says Khan Is Medically Fit

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Khan was examined by doctors and was later returned to Adiala prison in Rawalpindi. According to the government, doctors found the former premier medically fit.

The ministry also rejected claims that Khan had been denied meaningful contact with his family. It said he has received more than 900 visits from relatives, lawyers, doctors, political representatives and other approved visitors since his imprisonment in 2023.

Pakistan Cites Medical Examinations

The government said Khan has undergone around 30 medical examinations involving specialists and medical boards from several institutions, including PIMS, Shifa International Hospital, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital.

Authorities also said Khan receives regular examinations from the prison doctor. The ministry cited remarks attributed to his sister that he was in good health and said his eye condition had almost completely improved.

Government Explains Hospital Decision

Pakistan’s government said Khan was taken to the public hospital because of security concerns surrounding Shifa International Hospital. Supporters of Khan’s PTI party had reportedly gathered outside or were heading toward the facility.

The Supreme Court had ordered that Khan be examined at Shifa International Hospital by a medical board that included specialists and one of his personal physicians. The dispute over where the examination should take place has added to tensions between Khan’s supporters and authorities.

Concerns Over Khan’s Health

Concerns about Khan’s health increased earlier this year after his family claimed that he had lost most of the vision in his right eye. The government disputed the severity of the condition and later said that his eyesight was improving.

Khan, a former international cricket star who became a politician, was removed from office through a parliamentary no-confidence vote in April 2022. He has remained imprisoned since 2023 after convictions in multiple legal cases.