Imran Khan’s party PTI demands immediate cardiac care for him at Shifa International Hospital

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Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan. File | Photo Credit: Reuters

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party has condemned what it called the “continued failure” of authorities at a state-run hospital after the CT Coronary Angiography (CTA) was not conducted on him despite cardiologists complaining about potential risks of cardiac complications.

In a statement on Sunday (August 23, 2026), Central Secretary Information of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Sheikh Waqas Akram, said the authorities had failed to provide 73-year-old Imran Khan with a medically recommended diagnostic test despite the availability of a functional CT scanner at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Dawn newspaper reported.

Mr. Khan was taken to PIMS on Friday (August 21) for an eye procedure and other diagnostic examinations. Doctors reportedly recommended a CTA of the heart, but hospital officials said the required facility was unavailable. He was subsequently returned to Adiala jail without undergoing the test.

The party condemned what it called the “continued failure” of authorities and demanded that the test should be immediately conducted at Shifa International Hospital.

“This cannot be dismissed as an isolated administrative lapse; it reflects a deeply troubling pattern,” Mr. Akram said.

He said the required specialist facilities were available at Shifa International Hospital.

Mr. Akram also referred to a Supreme Court order concerning Khan’s comprehensive medical examination and treatment at Shifa International Hospital, alleging that authorities had bypassed the directive and instead transferred him to a facility where the CT angiography was not performed.

“When the necessary facilities were available at Shifa International, deliberately taking Mr. Khan to a hospital unable or unwilling to perform the procedure raises a grave question: was the decision made in advance to prevent the CT Coronary Angiography from being conducted?” he asked.

Mr. Akram said a government medical board had examined Mr. Khan on August 10 following complaints of heart palpitations and severe headaches.

He said a cardiologist at PIMS had already recommended the CTA on August 1 due to fluctuating blood pressure, restlessness and potential risks of cardiac complications, given Mr. Khan’s age and prolonged isolation.

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Taking notice of the reports, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday (August 22) formed an inquiry committee, headed by the establishment division secretary, to establish facts and fix responsibility.