Islamabad: Through quiet backchannel efforts by Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, contacts became possible between the government and PTI to implement the Supreme Court’s order regarding the eye examination of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, though the process repeatedly stalled due to Aleema Khan’s changing stance.
Sources indicate that Naqvi, known for his proximity to senior military leadership, played a central role in bridging the communication gap when no formal contacts existed, paving the way for a mutually agreed medical examination of PTI founder Imran Khan, imprisoned in Adiala Jail.
Under the agreed terms, the government agreed to form an independent medical board of several doctors and allowed PTI to nominate one independent physician; PTI proposed Dr. Nadeem Qureshi, which authorities accepted.
The government also permitted PTI to nominate a family representative for oversight; PTI initially selected Imran Khan’s nephew Qasim Zaman after consulting Aleema Khan, but she later withdrew it and suggested Dr. Nousherwan Burki instead.
Sources note that while PTI’s independent doctor could join the board, a family doctor couldn’t serve as representative, so PTI was asked to nominate a non-doctor family member; Aleema Khan was posting varied content on social media amid these exchanges.
Repeated changes caused delays and uncertainty, surprising some PTI leaders and opposition figures monitoring the process; PTI suggested transferring Imran to Shifa International Hospital, but the government said admission depends solely on the board’s recommendation, per Supreme Court order.
When PTI couldn’t finalize arrangements, the board—including PTI’s doctor—examined Imran at Adiala Jail without a PTI representative present; afterward, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Allama Raja Nasir Abbas met the doctors for briefing.
The government enabled telephonic consultations between the examining doctors and PTI-linked Lahore physicians Dr. Asim Yusuf and Dr. Khurram Mirza; the board found no serious eye ailment, recording 6/6 vision in one eye and 6/9 in the other, recommending light prescription glasses.
