Former Pakistani President Arif Alvi has expressed serious concern over the health condition of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, describing the situation as “worrying” after reviewing recent medical information. He has called for urgent medical examinations and demanded that Khan be transferred to a hospital for further evaluation.
According to a Times of India report published on Tuesday (August 18), Alvi expressed his concerns in a post on X, saying he had reviewed Khan’s health condition in consultation with doctors.
Alvi said he had learned that Imran Khan was experiencing extreme mental stress, an irregular heartbeat and high blood pressure. He suggested that the health problems could be linked to his prolonged imprisonment and solitary confinement.
The report said Khan’s heart rate was recorded at 54 beats per minute. Alvi expressed concern over the reading in comparison with Khan’s normal heart rate and said a more comprehensive cardiac assessment was necessary given his overall health condition.
Alvi called for 24-hour Holter monitoring, along with an echocardiogram, cardiac MRI and CT angiography, among other medical examinations. He said the tests were necessary to properly assess Khan’s current cardiovascular condition.
The former president also strongly called for Khan to be taken to hospital under the supervision of an independent panel of doctors.
According to Alvi, Khan’s family and the wider public do not have confidence in government-appointed medical professionals. He therefore argued that independent doctors should be involved in Khan’s treatment and medical assessment.
Members of Imran Khan’s family have also raised concerns over his access to medical care and communication with relatives. His sons said in an interview that for the past seven months, family members, lawyers and Khan’s personal doctors had not been allowed to meet him.
Meanwhile, supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) continue to hold demonstrations demanding the release of Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi. Protests have been reported in various parts of Pakistan.
Imran Khan served as Pakistan’s prime minister from 2018 to 2022 and has remained in prison since 2023 in connection with multiple cases.
Khan and his PTI party have repeatedly alleged that politically motivated cases have been filed against him by the government and military establishment with the aim of sidelining him politically and keeping him away from active politics.
Arif Alvi’s latest comments have once again brought Imran Khan’s health and conditions of imprisonment into the spotlight, with calls growing for immediate medical testing and an independent assessment of his health.
Source: Times of India.