Lawyers for former prime minister Imran Khan spent about four hours with him at Adiala jail in Rawalpindi on Wednesday. According to Sardar Latif Khosa, one of the lawyers, the proposed 28th Constitutional Amendment came up during the conversation, although he did not reveal what was said about it.
Khosa and fellow lawyer Salman Safdar met Imran and his wife, Bushra Bibi, after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) directed authorities to help the lawyers gain access to the couple. Speaking to reporters afterwards, Khosa said the talks were friendly and focused mainly on legal matters, including pending cases and appeals. He said Imran appeared alert and in good spirits, although he continued to complain about his eyesight and blood pressure.
How the IHC order opened the way to the jail visit
The meeting followed instructions the IHC issued on Tuesday while hearing appeals by Imran and Bushra against their convictions in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case. A division bench led by Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar, with Justice Muhammad Asif on it, was handling the appeals. Lawyers raised concerns about access to their clients, the clients’ medical conditions and their preparations for the cases.
During the hearing, Safdar told the court that he had last met Imran seven months earlier and Bushra 11 months earlier. He argued that such limited access made it hard for lawyers to get instructions and prepare a proper defence. He also said Bushra had asked him why he had not been able to see her for almost a year.
Khosa told the bench he had repeatedly asked for permission to see Imran and promised the court he would not seek another adjournment if access were arranged. He asked for at least one hour with his client. Safdar also requested another chance to consult Imran, saying their earlier interaction had not been enough to collect all the instructions he needed.
The Islamabad advocate general proposed that both lawyers be allowed meetings if they committed to starting their arguments at the next hearing. The court then told the authorities to facilitate the visits and ordered that case paper books be given to the defence. The appeals were adjourned for 10 days. The meeting was scheduled for 3pm on Wednesday and was initially expected to last an hour, but Khosa said the lawyers stayed with the couple for roughly four hours.
Health concerns raised in court over Imran and Bushra
The former prime minister’s health was also raised during Tuesday’s proceedings. Safdar told the IHC that Imran’s eyesight had improved, but his blood pressure remained uncontrolled. He said Imran was worried that persistently high blood pressure could raise the risk of a brain haemorrhage.
Safdar also raised concerns about Bushra’s eyesight. He said she had undergone an operation about six months earlier and was due for another procedure on November 15. He questioned the adequacy of her post-operative care, saying she had been sent back to her prison cell on the same day as her surgery, which he said was carried out on an emergency basis.
He asked the court to set up a medical board and to order that her full medical records from Adiala jail be produced. If the bench was not prepared to grant bail, he asked it to consider temporary release for four to six weeks so she could receive treatment.
Islamabad Advocate General Naveed Malik told the court that Bushra was being treated in prison and had been given the medical facilities she required. He submitted details of her treatment and said a medical board had examined her on November 8. Chief Justice Dogar observed that the couple’s health matter was pending before the Federal Constitutional Court. Safdar disputed this, stating that no case concerning Bushra Bibi was before that court.
PTI seeks Shifa transfer after PIMS eye treatment
The meeting took place amid fresh calls from PTI leaders for independent medical examinations and treatment for Imran. He had visited the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) overnight to receive an eye injection. On Wednesday, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan demanded that Imran be moved immediately to Shifa International Hospital for full medical examinations, tests and treatment.
In a statement posted on X, Gohar said the party had learned from media reports that Imran had been taken to PIMS on Tuesday night for an eye injection. He said the party was not informed beforehand. Gohar also referred to a Supreme Court order dated August 18, 2026, which he said directed that Imran be shifted to Shifa International Hospital for examination and treatment.
According to Gohar, the same order also called for a medical board that would include Imran’s personal physician and a family member. He said the order had gone unimplemented for nearly three months and urged that it be carried out fully.
Other party figures also expressed concern about the circumstances of the PIMS visit. PTI Peshawar district president Irfan Saleem said the hospital’s statement had raised further questions about Imran’s health, safety and treatment while in custody.
The hospital, however, said Imran’s vital signs were normal during the examination and that he remained clinically stable before, during and after the procedure. It said he received an anti-VEGF injection on the advice of his treating ophthalmologist and was discharged at around 2:30am.
The meeting gave Imran’s lawyers a chance to take instructions on the pending appeals and other legal matters. Meanwhile, the PTI has continued to press for greater transparency over his medical care and for the Supreme Court’s directions to be implemented.
