By The South Asia Times

ISLAMABAD -  Fresh concerns have emerged over the health of Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister Imran Khan after his lawyer and family members reported that his blood pressure had reached 192, urging authorities to provide him with immediate medical care at an independent hospital.

The concerns follow a 40-minute meeting between Khan and his lawyer, Barrister Salman Safdar, at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on November 2. It was the first meeting between Safdar and Khan in seven months, while the lawyer had not met Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, in 11 months.

In a post on X, Safdar said jail authorities facilitated the meeting at around 4:30 p.m. He said the limited time was insufficient to discuss all the pending legal cases and related matters.

Both Khan and Bushra briefed him on their health and living conditions and provided fresh instructions concerning their legal cases, he added.

- Family demands transfer to hospital

Khan’s sister, Rubina Khan Niazi, said on November 3 that her brother had told the lawyer his blood pressure had risen to 192.

She said Khan had never previously suffered from high blood pressure and that his readings had been normal a year earlier.

Niazi called for his immediate transfer to an independent hospital in Islamabad, where he could be examined by his personal physician and a doctor nominated by the family.

She attributed his deteriorating condition to prolonged isolation and raised concerns about the medical treatment being provided in prison.

Khan’s son, Kasim Khan, also shared his aunt’s statement, saying that his father’s high blood pressure was a direct consequence of his isolation. He warned that his father could die in prison if he was not released soon.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Khan’s party, has also demanded that authorities implement a Supreme Court order issued in August 2026 directing his transfer to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad.

PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram urged the government to ensure the transfer and allow Khan’s personal and family-appointed doctors to examine him.

- PTI says doctors denied access

PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja said the reported fluctuations in Khan’s blood pressure were a serious concern.

He said the party would formulate a strategy after consultations with Khan’s family and authorised party bodies, including its parliamentary party.

Raja stressed that the strategy should not be driven by anger or calls for agitation. He said the family and party would raise their concerns both inside Pakistan and internationally.

He also alleged that Khan’s personal physicians, who had treated him for around 40 years, had been denied access to him.

Raja said Safdar’s meeting with Khan was a legal necessity rather than a favour or special concession by the authorities. The lawyer had previously informed the court that he would not argue the Al-Qadir Trust case until he had met Khan and Bushra Bibi.

According to Raja, Safdar briefed him after the meeting and conveyed Khan’s instructions on legal matters. He said Khan remained determined and was aware of discussions within the party, including what he described as attempts to create divisions.

Raja also rejected reports suggesting that the meeting had involved an offer or political arrangement, saying no such offer had been made.

- Previous concerns over eyesight

Khan’s health has been a subject of concern for his family and party in recent months.

In January 2026, reports emerged that he was suffering from central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO), a condition affecting blood flow in the retina of the eye. At the time, reports indicated that he had lost around 85 percent of the vision in his right eye.

The government later said that specialists in Islamabad had treated him and that his eyesight had improved.

In August 2026, the Supreme Court directed that Khan be transferred to Shifa International Hospital for medical treatment. The court also ordered the involvement of his personal physician, Dr Faisal Sultan, and family members in his medical care, along with regular family visits and telephone contact with his sons.

PTI says the court’s directions have not been fully implemented and has filed a contempt petition over the matter.

- Government rejects allegations

The government has rejected allegations that Khan is being denied medical care in prison.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has said that the authorities are providing him with necessary facilities and appropriate healthcare, including access to treatment at government hospitals.

The government has also dismissed the PTI’s claims of neglect, maintaining that Khan is receiving medical attention in accordance with prison regulations.

Khan has been in custody since August 2023 and is serving prison sentences while facing several legal cases. His party describes the cases as politically motivated, while the government maintains that the legal proceedings are being handled by the courts.