Shah Mahmood Qureshi moved from jail to Lahore cardiology institute

Former foreign minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi was shifted from Kot Lakhpat Jail to the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) in Lahore on Tuesday, according to 24NewsHD and Daily Pakistan. Sources told Express News he was moved for various tests.

Daily Pakistan reported that he arrived at the institute at about 11am after his health suddenly deteriorated. It said he had experienced high blood pressure, breathing difficulties, dizziness and reduced consciousness, which raised concerns of a possible heart attack.

Hospital officials said a heart attack has not yet been medically confirmed. Doctors collected blood samples for cardiac investigations and are waiting for laboratory results before making a final diagnosis.

Daily Pakistan reported that medical officials declared him out of immediate danger, though he remains under close observation. Doctors are also considering coronary angiography to examine the arteries of his heart.

His lawyer, Barrister Taimoor Malik, said Qureshi collapsed inside the jail on 4 November. According to the lawyer, he became dizzy while walking in his barrack and fell, injuring his knee and arm. Express News, citing sources, also said jail authorities took his blood samples and sent them to Shaukat Khanum Hospital.

Daily Pakistan said his legal team sought further tests, including a CT scan, on the advice of PTI leader and physician Dr Yasmin Rashid. The PTI core committee called for his immediate hospitalisation and a full medical examination.

The same outlet reported that Qureshi was taken to PIC in May 2025 after chest discomfort and returned to prison after observation. He has been in custody since August 2023. He and Imran Khan were sentenced to 10 years in the cipher case in January 2024, and the Islamabad High Court overturned those convictions in June 2024. He stayed in custody because of other cases, including those linked to the 9 May protests.