LAHORE — Senior PTI leader Dr. Yasmin Rashid was urgently shifted to Services Hospital Lahore on Tuesday after her health deteriorated inside Kot Lakhpat Jail, where she has been held as an under-trial prisoner for over two years. The former Punjab health minister, a cancer survivor, reportedly experienced severe breathing difficulties and intense abdominal pain, raising renewed concerns over the treatment of political prisoners in Pakistan.
According to her lawyer Rana Mudassar, Rashid was immediately placed on oxygen support upon arrival at the emergency department. “She remains under observation as doctors conduct critical tests,” he confirmed. This marks the third hospitalization for Rashid since her arrest in May 2023.
She was originally detained under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance for her alleged involvement in the May 9 riots and continues to face multiple legal cases without formal conviction.
The incident has reignited calls from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for Rashid’s immediate release on medical grounds. PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram stated on X, “Dr. Yasmin Rashid has been unjustly imprisoned for 24 months. Her deteriorating health demands immediate bail.”
Barrister Taimur Malik, part of PTI’s legal team, labeled the prolonged detention a form of pre-trial punishment, while PTI leader Musarrat Cheema expressed frustration over delayed medical care, urging prayers for Rashid’s recovery.
On July 12, an anti-terrorism court reserved its verdict on her bail plea. That same day, Rashid and other jailed PTI leaders issued an open letter demanding free and fair elections, warning against repeating the mistakes of 1970.
Her case underscores wider concerns over prisoner rights, political victimization, and access to adequate healthcare in Pakistan’s detention system.
