The court issued the order on an application filed by Ali’s father, after a controversy emerged between the Karachi police surgeon and investigators over alleged loopholes in the medico-legal report regarding the post-mortem examination.

In its order, the court directed the police surgeon and the Sindh health secretary to constitute a medico-legal board for the exhumation of Ali’s body “under intimation to this court at the earliest possible date and time”.

The court order, issued after the ruling by Judicial Magistrate Hameedullah, stated that Ali’s father, Mir Hussain Ali Khan, had filed an application seeking the exhumation of his son’s body in accordance with law.

He also requested the formation of a medico-legal board, comprising senior forensic experts and pathologists, under the Karachi police surgeon “to conduct a fresh and comprehensive” medico-legal examination and postmortem, as well as X-ray, DNA, forensic and chemical examination of the body to ascertain the actual cause of death.

The court observed that the prosecutor had not raised any objection to allowing the application, and permitted the exhumation of Ali’s body.

Moreover, the court office was directed to issue a letter to the Sindh health secretary and Karachi police surgeon for the formation of a medico-legal board for the purpose.

“The Ferozabad station house officer is also directed to make arrangements along with the investigating officer (IO) for such proceedings,” the order, a copy of which is available with Dawn read.

The court had earlier reserved its decision on the application after the counsel for the applicant, Jibran Nasir, and the prosecutor presented their arguments.

Nasir contended that police could not object to the exhumation.

But, the judge observed that a notice would have to be issued to police.

Nasir argued that the police surgeon and the medico-legal officer would have to conduct the exhumation, further stating that the police surgeon had identified loopholes in the postmortem report.

“No X-ray was done; the cause of the death has not been determined,” he said.

The judge then asked the prosecution how the court could issue an order for the body’s exhumation without issuing a notice to the IO. If the prosecution had no objection, the order would be issued, he added.

The prosecutor replied that they had no objection to the exhumation. “This is a matter involving a human life,” he said.

At that point, Nasir argued that issuing a notice to the IO would further delay the matter.

The court then reserved its ruling on the application and later allowed the exhumation of Ali’s body.

More to follow

Their interview comes as the PTI marked three years since Imran was imprisoned on Aug 5, 2023 for concealing details of Toshakhana gifts. After his eye ailment came to light in January, the PTI founder’s family and party leaders have repeatedly voiced concerns over a lack of access to him.

In the CNN interview, Kasim and Sulaiman said they had “no updates because his (Imran’s) family, doctors [and] lawyers haven’t been allowed to see him for seven months”.

“Been more in the dark than we’ve ever been through his incarceration,” Kasim said, noting the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) order for a phone call between them every two weeks.

Speaking to CNN from London, the duo claimed that each time they speak to the media about their father, Pakistani authorities made it harder for them to see him by allegedly delaying their visas or bogging them down with other administrative issues.

“We’re trying, we’d like to go, but nothing’s coming through,” Kasim said. “There’s no reason we shouldn’t be accepted for a visa.”

While the government has previously said that Kasim and Sulaiman were “welcome” to visit Pakistan on their National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (Nicop), Imran’s sons said those cards have expired.

“So we’re not able to go by those, and the visa has never come; there were technical difficulties,” Kasim said.

CNN also quoted the information ministry as saying that Kasim and Sulaiman had Nicops, which meant they did not require visas to enter Pakistan. The ministry said their claims were “misleading and appear to convert an administrative process into an issue of political point-scoring”.

The publication noted that the ministry did not address the duo’s claim that their Nicops had not been renewed.

Asked if there was a chance their father could reach a “deal with the government, the sons thought it unlikely”, CNN reported.

Sulaiman said Imran “wouldn’t [reach a deal that left] the other political prisoners in there … unless they were able to get some kind of resolution as well”.

Kasim expressed a similar opinion, though he added it was “hard to say”. “They’re refusing to show us any kind of health report. So his health may have deteriorated significantly since then,” he said.

Speaking on the charges against his father, Kasim termed them as “plain lies and deceit”.

Asked about his message to the world, Kasim said “anyone with the power to take action” should take notice of the situation, insisting that the majority of the people voted for Imran in the elections and he was “behind bars for no good reason”.

3 years behind bars

Imran was sent to jail on Aug 5, 2023 in the Toshakhana case. However, he is also serving a 14-year sentence in a £190 million corruption case, was convicted in another Toshakhana case in December 2025 and also faces pending trials in terrorism cases related to the May 9, 2023 riots.

Imran’s PTI held rallies in major cities yesterday to demand his release, with the gatherings in Karachi and Lahore met with police action and arrests.

Despite the IHC mandating meetings on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Imran has not met his family or party leaders since his sister Uzma Khanum met him last December.

His eye ailment — right central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) — came to light in late January, for which the government has provided him treatment.

The government and the opposition have been engaged in a blame game, with the latter accusing the former of a lack of transparency in not ensuring appropriate treatment for Imran, and not allowing his personal physicians access to him. The government denies these allegations.

Imran’s sisters and opposition leaders have demanded that the former premier be shifted to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad, be treated in the presence of his personal physicians and allowed to meet his family.

A press release issued by the council said, “On the directions of the honourable prime minister of Pakistan, PMDC hereby informs all candidates, parents, educational institutions and other stakeholders that the MDCAT, previously scheduled to be held on Aug 16, has been rescheduled to Sept 20.”

It said that the decision was taken to ensure the “smooth, secure and transparent conduct of the examination while facilitating all candidates”.

“All other terms, conditions and examination arrangements shall remain unchanged unless notified otherwise,” it added.

The council advised candidates to regularly visit the official PMDC website and official communication channels for further updates and instructions.

The statement also said it “appreciates the understanding and cooperation of all stakeholders and regrets any inconvenience caused.”

Passing the MDCAT is mandatory for admission to medical and dental colleges in Pakistan. Every year upto 200,000 candidates appear in the test and around 25,000 of them secure seats in public sector and private medical and dental colleges.

Earlier this week, the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) health secretary had met PMDC officials and highlighted the difficulties being faced by students in completing their MDCAT registration due to the prolonged internet shutdown in the region. PMDC officials had vowed to provide all possible facilitation to the candidates.

Last month, a subcommittee of the Senate Standing Committee on Health expressed concern over increasing complaints regarding the conduct of the MDCAT and its scheduled date.

During the meeting, PMDC officials informed lawmakers that around 135,000 candidates were expected to sit the examination, while Senator Anusha Rahman said the committee had received around 1,000 complaints from students.

FO spokesperson Tahir Andrabi made the remarks while addressing a weekly press briefing, where he was asked about the Indian External Affairs Ministry’s (MEA) “reaction” to the ongoing polls. While the question did not elaborate further, the Indian ministry had termed the polls a “farce” on Tuesday, saying that such “hollow exercises” could not hide the reality.

“Pakistan categorically rejects the baseless and politically motivated remarks of the Indian MEA regarding the ongoing legislative elections in the AJK,” Andrabi said on Thursday.

“It is unsurprising that India has chosen to issue such remarks on the eve of the 7th anniversary of its illegal and unilateral actions of August 5, through which it seeks to alter the internationally recognised disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said, adding that actions violated the relevant UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, international law, and India’s international commitments.

Andrabi held that elections in AJK were being conducted in a “peaceful, transparent and orderly manner” in accordance with the constitutional and legal framework governing the region.

He added that the ongoing elections reflected “democratic aspirations and political will of the people of AJK”.

Andrabi maintained that India, in view of its continued denial of fundamental political rights and democratic freedom in occupied Kashmir, “has neither the standing nor the moral authority to comment on the democratic process in AJK”.

He added that misinformation and propaganda could not change the status of occupied Kashmir, which remained a disputed territory.

“Its final disposition is to be determined in accordance with relevant UNSC resolutions as well as the freely expressed will of the Kashmiri people and through a UN-administered plebiscite,” he said.

He also held that India’s “attempt to invoke misleading casualty figures” cannot obscure its own actions in occupied Kashmir.

Andrabi said such statements were an attempt to deflect international attention away from India’s “continued violation of international human rights and humanitarian law and its persistent failure to fulfil international obligations”.

At this, he called on the neighbouring India to reverse its illegal actions of August 5, 2019 and “create an environment conducive to peaceful settlement in accordance with the relevant UNSC resolutions”.

The FO spokesperson was also asked about the Indian ministry’s response to comments made by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on the occasion of Youm-i-Istehsal wherein it had condemned Pakistan’s “desperate peddling of falsehoods”.

He held that the Indian MEA statement was a “self-serving eulogy” for its actions in the occupied Kashmir.

“The reality is that a prolonged and heavy military presence, coupled with draconian laws, continues to facilitate demographic change aimed at altering the territory’s Muslim majority character.”

The FO spokesperson also took note of India’s “systemic efforts” suppressing the voices of Kashmiri people and that its “so-called development” in the occupied territory was not a substitute for the rights of the Kashmiri people.

“We remain unwavering in our support for the just [..] and call upon India to reverse its illegal and unilateral measures and its human rights violations and engage in the peaceful resolution of Jammu and Kashmir.”

Pakistan continues engagement on US-Iran

Speaking about Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts to mediate between the US and Iran, the FO spokesperson said that Pakistan remained engaged to resolve the crisis, particularly in the Strait of Hormuz.

He vowed that Pakistan would continue to “actively pursue diplomatic engagements and support all sincere efforts aimed at achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting resolution to the conflict”.

Andrabi also hoped that an agreement on the Strait of Hormuz would lead to the resumption of talks between the US and Iran under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), AFP reported.

“We hope that the agreement on the Strait will pave the way for continuing dialogue, particularly the resumption of technical-level talks between Iran and the US,” the foreign ministry spokesman told reporters.

Andrabi also lauded Oman for its “valuable and steadfast” efforts towards de-escalation, particularly as a littoral state to the State of Hormuz.