The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Sunday demanded immediate and independent cardiac care for incarcerated party founder Imran Khan at Shifa International Hospital, as it condemned authorities’ failure to conduct a CT Coronary Angiography during his hospital visit last week.
In a statement, Central Secretary Information Sheikh Waqas Akram noted a government medical board had examined Khan on Aug. 10 on complaints of heart palpitations and severe headaches.
“Even the government’s own doctors considered this diagnostic test medically necessary,” he said, alleging that the procedure was not performed when Khan was taken to PIMS on the night between Aug. 20 and Aug. 21. He said hospital officials claimed the required equipment was unavailable, adding this raised concerns over repeated delays and apparent negligence in providing the former prime minister with timely and appropriate medical care.
“A former prime minister was taken to a government hospital in the middle of the night, assessed by doctors who recommended an essential cardiac investigation, and then returned to Adiala Jail without the test being conducted. This cannot be dismissed as an isolated administrative lapse; it reflects a deeply troubling pattern,” he said.
Noting the required specialist facilities were available at Shifa International Hospital, he referred to a Supreme Court directing Khan’s transfer to the private facility. “When the necessary facilities were available at Shifa International, deliberately taking Imran to a hospital unable or unwilling to perform the procedure raises a grave question: was the decision made in advance to prevent the CT Coronary Angiography from being conducted?” he said.
“Authorities must explain why he was not taken to the facility specifically designated for his medical care,” he said, while rejecting government assurances Khan was receiving adequate medical attention.
Referring to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s decision to form an inquiry committee regarding the required facilities, he said this reflected a systemic failure.
In his statement, Akram demanded the immediate conduct of the recommended CT Coronary Angiography at Shifa International Hospital under the supervision of independent specialists and Khan’s personal physicians. He also called for the prompt disclosure of all medical records, reports and diagnostic results to his family, personal medical team and legal counsel, as well as the full implementation of the Supreme Court order.