By Nazim Malik
The question of Imran Khan’s health is once again moving to the centre of Pakistan’s political discourse, with senior PTI leaders warning that his reported medical problems require urgent attention and should not become entangled in political or procedural disputes.
PTI Central President Chaudhry Parvez Elahi has called for the former prime minister to be shifted to a hospital immediately, saying his reported eye and blood-pressure problems could develop into more serious complications if left untreated.
His remarks came after a condolence visit to the Lahore residence of PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, whose mother recently passed away. But what began as a visit to share grief quickly turned into a renewed expression of concern over the health of the PTI founder.
Mr Elahi, accompanied by his son Rasikh Elahi, said there should be no politics over Mr Khan’s medical condition. He insisted that the former prime minister’s treatment should be carried out under the supervision of his personal physicians and in consultation with his family.
The former Punjab chief minister’s intervention was significant because it came alongside a similar demand from Barrister Gohar, suggesting a growing emphasis within the party on Mr Khan’s health as an issue requiring immediate attention rather than political manoeuvring.
Mr Gohar said he and Mr Elahi were agreed on the need for immediate medical treatment for the PTI founder and that the matter should not be allowed to get bogged down in “technical procedural matters”.
He also expressed concern over the health report concerning Mr Khan submitted to the Supreme Court and demanded an immediate meeting between the incarcerated leader and his wife, Bushra Bibi.
A mother’s loss, a political concern
The two leaders’ discussion followed a deeply personal moment for Mr Gohar.
Mr Elahi visited his residence to offer condolences on the death of his mother and offered Fateha for the departed soul. Former Complaint Cell chairman Zubair Khan, Fayyaz Tabassum and other PTI figures were also present.
Offering his condolences, Mr Elahi spoke of the special place mothers occupy in a family, describing their presence as a blessing, mercy and source of divine grace. A mother’s presence, he said, shields a family from countless difficulties, making her loss particularly profound.
He prayed for the elevation of the deceased’s ranks and for patience and strength for the bereaved family.
The solemnity of the condolence gathering was soon accompanied by a wider political concern — the health of a leader whose imprisonment has remained one of the most contentious issues in the country’s politics.
For the PTI, the latest demand is not simply about moving Mr Khan from prison to a medical facility. It also reflects the party’s insistence that decisions concerning his treatment should involve doctors trusted by him and his family.
Mr Elahi specifically called for his personal physicians and family to oversee the treatment, while Mr Gohar sought a meeting between Mr Khan and Bushra Bibi.
The PTI has maintained that access to appropriate medical care is particularly important because of Mr Khan’s reported health problems. Its leaders have repeatedly argued that medical issues should be handled on humanitarian and professional grounds rather than becoming part of the political confrontation surrounding the former premier.
Mr Elahi also sought to place his latest intervention within what he described as the PTI’s broader “positive” political approach.
He said the party wanted a level playing field and suggested that a more balanced political environment could help improve the country’s overall situation.
Mr Khan’s health has increasingly become intertwined with the political debate over his incarceration. For his supporters, any deterioration in his condition carries political significance; for the authorities, decisions regarding his medical treatment have to be weighed against the legal and administrative circumstances of his imprisonment.
The PTI leadership, however, appears keen to draw a line between the two.
Mr Elahi’s message was that whatever the political disagreements, the former prime minister’s medical needs could not be allowed to wait. Mr Gohar’s call for an immediate meeting with Bushra Bibi added a family dimension to the demand.
The episode therefore brought together two very different kinds of grief: Mr Gohar mourning the loss of his mother, and the PTI leadership voicing fears about the health of its imprisoned founder.
For a party accustomed to fighting its political battles on several fronts at once, the latest appeal is unusually straightforward: treat Imran Khan first, and leave the politics for later.
