Party Questions Why Recommended Cardiac Test Was Not Conducted at PIMS
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has demanded that jailed former prime minister Imran Khan immediately undergo CT coronary angiography at Shifa International Hospital, after reports emerged that the recommended cardiac test was not performed during his recent visit to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences.
Imran was taken from Adiala Jail to PIMS during the early hours of Friday, August 21, where he underwent an eye assessment and several other medical examinations.
However, a recommended CT coronary angiography, or CTA, was reportedly not conducted before he was returned to prison.
The development has added another layer to the controversy surrounding the government’s handling of the Supreme Court’s August 18 order directing that Imran be shifted to Shifa International Hospital for examination and treatment.
PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram said on Sunday that the party wanted the cardiac test carried out without further delay at Shifa under the supervision of independent specialists and Imran’s personal physicians.
According to Akram, medical information previously submitted to the Supreme Court showed that a PIMS cardiologist had recommended CT coronary angiography on August 1.
He said the recommendation followed reported episodes of fluctuating blood pressure, palpitations, headaches and restlessness, as well as concerns about possible cardiac complications.
A government medical board also examined Imran on August 10.
Akram argued that because government-appointed doctors themselves considered the cardiac investigation necessary, authorities needed to explain why it was not completed when Imran was eventually taken to hospital.
The government has not accepted PTI’s allegations that medical care was intentionally delayed or denied.
PIMS Had CT Scanner Capable of Performing CTA, Doctors Say
Questions intensified after medical sources said PIMS possessed equipment capable of carrying out CT coronary angiography.
According to Dawn, a 128-slice CT scanner has been operational in the hospital’s radiology department since March 2022 and can perform the procedure.
The confusion reportedly arose because PIMS’ cardiac centre did not have the relevant CTA facility immediately available, even though the hospital’s radiology department had an appropriate CT scanner.
A senior doctor said Imran could have been referred to the radiology department for the test.
CT coronary angiography is different from conventional coronary angiography.
A conventional angiogram generally involves inserting a catheter through an artery and guiding it towards the heart.
A CT coronary angiogram instead uses a CT scanner and intravenous contrast dye to produce detailed images of the coronary arteries. It can help doctors identify narrowing or blockages without arterial catheterisation.
The missed examination prompted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to order an inquiry.
An inquiry committee headed by the Establishment Division secretary has been tasked with establishing the facts and determining responsibility for why the required investigation was not performed.
PTI welcomed scrutiny of the issue but said the inquiry itself raised further questions about why coordination between PIMS departments allegedly failed.
Akram also questioned why Imran had been taken to PIMS when the Supreme Court had specifically identified Shifa International Hospital for his medical examination.
He alleged that the sequence of events had created concerns that the procedure was deliberately prevented.
That allegation has not been independently established.
Supreme Court Had Ordered Imran’s Transfer to Shifa
The controversy stems from a Supreme Court order issued on August 18.
A three-member bench headed by Justice Shahid Waheed, and including Justices Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Ishtiaq Ibrahim, directed authorities to transfer Imran from Adiala Jail to Shifa International Hospital within two days.
The court ordered his examination and treatment by a multidisciplinary medical board and directed that his personal physician, Dr Faisal Sultan, and his sister Dr Uzma Khan be present during the medical assessment.
The court was hearing petitions concerning Imran’s health, access to personal doctors and family members, and provision of his medical records.
Concerns over his health had intensified after his right-eye condition, diagnosed as central retinal vein occlusion, became public earlier this year.
The government challenged the Supreme Court’s direction to send him to a private hospital.
Its first review petition, filed on August 19, argued that the order was discriminatory and inconsistent with prison rules.
The Supreme Court registrar returned that petition on August 20 because of deficiencies in the filing, including incomplete paper books.
The Islamabad administration subsequently approached the court again with a fresh review petition.
On Saturday, the chief commissioner also sought an early hearing, arguing that directing an inmate to a private hospital affected the administration’s authority and could lead other prisoners to demand similar treatment.
Imran Taken to PIMS Instead of Shifa
Despite extensive security preparations around Shifa International Hospital on the night of August 20, Imran was ultimately taken to PIMS.
He was examined there before being returned to Adiala Jail several hours later.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the change of hospital was made because of security concerns created by PTI supporters on the route and around Shifa.
Tarar maintained that Imran was examined by qualified specialists, including a cardiologist, physician and ophthalmologist, and was subsequently declared medically fit.
PIMS later said two specialists from Shifa participated in his ophthalmological assessment, while other examinations were performed by PIMS doctors.
PTI has rejected the government’s explanation.
The party argues that security concerns did not authorise officials to disregard the specific hospital named in the Supreme Court order.
Imran’s sister Dr Uzma Khan has also filed a contempt petition in the Supreme Court, seeking proceedings against officials accused of violating the August 18 directions.
The petition additionally asks the court to ensure Imran is shifted immediately to Shifa for medical examination.
PTI Seeks Medical Records and Independent Supervision
Alongside the demand for immediate CTA, PTI has called for Imran’s complete medical records, diagnostic results and reports to be provided to his family, personal doctors and legal team.
Akram said the party also wanted an independent investigation into two central questions: why Imran was taken to PIMS instead of Shifa, and why the recommended cardiac test was not performed.
He maintained that the former premier’s medical care should remain separate from political disputes.
PTI has further demanded full implementation of the Supreme Court’s August 18 order.
The government, meanwhile, continues to dispute the requirement that Imran receive treatment at a private hospital and is seeking an expedited hearing of its review petition.
The competing petitions now leave the controversy before the Supreme Court.
At the same time, the prime minister’s inquiry is expected to examine how a recommended CTA was missed despite reports that suitable scanning equipment existed elsewhere within PIMS.
For now, there has been no public confirmation that Imran Khan has subsequently undergone the CT coronary angiography.
