Islamabad, Feb 24 (IANS) The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) raised objections to the government’s secrecy after its chief and former Prime Minister Imran Khan was taken to Islamabad hospital for a follow-up eye treatment on Tuesday, local media reported.
A doctor at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) revealed that PTI founder Imran Khan was brought to the hospital for a second dose of anti-VEGF intravitreal injection on February 24. The Pims doctor said, “Prior to the procedure, he was examined by a board of specialists: a consultant cardiologist who also performed echocardiography and ECG (result: normal) and a consultant physician,” Pakistan’s leading daily Dawn reported.
The doctor said that Imran Khan was given a second dose of intravitreal injection of anti-VEGF under the guidance of microscopy by consultant ophthalmologist, and a consultant vitreo-retinal surgeon of Pims and Al-Shifa Eye Hospital after obtaining informed consent and under standard monitoring, precautionary measures and protocols in the operating theatre.
Reacting to the development, PTI in a post on X wrote, “The situation demands transparency, not secrecy.” The party stated that “clandestine actions only give rise to more questions.” The party reiterated its demand that Imran Khan be taken to Shifa International Hospital for independent and transparent medical care.
The PTI also re-shared a video showing a convoy moving on the road during the night, where a person can be heard saying that vehicles were “returning from Pims,” Dawn reported.
Taking to X, PTI chairman Gohar Ali Khan stated, “At 2 am today, I was informed this much in a message that Khan sahib was brought to Pims for administering an injection.” Khan stated that he was not informed about it in advance.
In a post on X, he wrote, “Our demand even today is the same that a complete checkup and treatment of Khan sahib be performed in Shifa International Hospital in the presence of his personal doctors and family members.”
Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khanum raised a question on family not being informed about Imran Khan being taken to the hospital again. She mentioned that they do not trust the diagnosis and test reports from government medical facilities.
In a post on X, she wrote, “From the news, we found out that Imran Khan was taken to PIMS again in the middle of the night, supposedly for his second injection in the eye. When the law requires that the family be informed before any medical procedure is conducted on a prisoner, why was the family not informed? We do not trust the diagnosis or test reports from Government medical facilities. There are already reports coming from PIMS that the doctors are being threatened with serious consequences if any information is leaked about Imran Khan.”
She called for treating Imran Khan in Shifa International Hospital by specialists under the supervision of PTI founder’s personal doctors and in the presence of his family. She further mentioned that Pims is not equipped to treat patients who have a condition that has developed in Imran Khan’s eyes.
“What are they hiding? Our family rejects their reports, even if they issue these doctored reports to the public. We stand by our demand that Imran Khan be examined and treated in Shifa International (Islamabad) by specialists, under the supervision of Imran Khan’s personal doctors and in the presence of his family. PIMS (Govt Hospital) is not equipped to treat anyone for the alleged condition that has developed in Imran Khan’s eye. It is criminal what this Government is doing, and they will be held accountable for each and every violation and crime they are committing against Imran Khan,” Aleema Khanum posted on X.
Reports about Imran Khan’s eye ailment, right central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO), surfaced in January. His first medical procedure, which was conducted on January 24, was revealed by the government five days later.
Since then, the opposition has accused the government of a lack of transparency on the matter and not ensuring appropriate treatment for Imran Khan and not allowing him to consult his personal physicians. The government has rejected the allegations.
–IANS
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