PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Muhammad Sohail Afridi, has stated that the medical treatment of Imran Khan under the supervision of his personal physicians, in the presence of his family members, and at a top international-standard hospital is his constitutional and legal right.
He emphasized that Imran Khan is not an ordinary prisoner but a former Prime Minister of Pakistan and the leader of the country’s largest political party. The manner in which he is currently being treated is not only alarming but also a blatant violation of Supreme Court orders.
Sohail Afridi said that the government’s obstinacy over Imran Khan’s medical treatment during the past few days has raised serious and troubling questions.
He pointed out that even the officially issued report admits that Imran Khan’s eye is recovering, which clearly implies that the eye had been damaged in the first place. This, he said, is not just a question for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf but for the entire nation, and it will remain a question that cannot be ignored.
He further stated that Imran Khan’s treatment is currently being carried out in the absence of his personal doctors and family members, a situation that is further deepening doubts and suspicions. If, according to the government, the reports are accurate and his health is improving, then there is no justification for preventing his personal physicians and family from meeting him.
The Chief Minister clarified that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has never politicized Imran Khan’s health, nor engaged in misinformation or political point-scoring over the past more than 900 days. However, he said, the matter has now become serious, and silence is no longer an option.
Sohail Afridi said that PTI workers have been present on the streets for days without any formal call and are protesting in a completely peaceful manner. The fact that not even a single flowerpot has been damaged is proof that PTI’s protest is civilized, constitutional, and within the bounds of the law.
He warned that if any attempt is made to infiltrate protesters with disruptive elements to create chaos, the responsibility will rest squarely with the government.
He explained that the party’s strategy is clear and that the protest plan was limited to parliamentarians only. Acting on Imran Khan’s directions, members of parliament, under the leadership of Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Allama Nasir Abbas, are holding a peaceful sit-in in front of Parliament House. Despite several parliamentarians being stopped, the sit-in continues, and no official protest call has been issued.
Sohail Afridi said that the party is currently going through a difficult phase. Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, are unjustly incarcerated, and while workers may be emotional, they have been urged to exercise patience and restraint.
He reiterated that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf is not a mob but a disciplined political party with a clear chain of command. Any decision regarding protests or future strategy will be taken only by Imran Khan’s nominated leadership. He said that when an official call is given, the public response will be such that no force will be able to stop it. However, he stressed that at present the issue is purely about Imran Khan’s health and not political manoeuvring.
Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sohail Afridi said that if the bogus Federal and Punjab government seeks to repeat tragedies such as Model Town or other past incidents, it should remember that PTI workers are ready to make every sacrifice for Imran Khan. Nevertheless, he reaffirmed that the party’s position remains firm, its struggle will remain peaceful, constitutional, and democratic.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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