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The D-8 Health Summit 2026 begins today at the Karachi Expo Centre, bringing together representatives from the eight Developing Islamic Countries (D-8) to strengthen cooperation in the health sector. The three-day summit will continue until July 25. The international event is being organised jointly by the Ibn Sina Institute, the World Aging Council, and the Karachi Healthcare Expo and Conference. This year’s theme is “Healthy and Age-Friendly D-8 Countries.” The summit will focus on a wide range of healthcare issues, including health diplomacy, the challenges of an ageing population, preventive healthcare, healthy longevity, medical tourism, digital health, the impact of climate change on public health, and sustainable healthcare policies. A key highlight of the summit will be a keynote address by renowned gerontologist Dr Kamal Aydin. He will speak on “Global Health and Aging Diplomacy: A Future Vision for D-8 Countries,” presenting recommendations to promote international cooperation for developing healthy and age-friendly cities, particularly in the context of COP31. Dr Aydin, who completed his education at the University of the Punjab in 1996, has maintained close academic and professional links with Pakistan throughout his career. He is attending this year’s summit as President of the D-8 Health Summit 2026 and the honorary chief guest of the Karachi Healthcare Expo and Conference. In his message, Dr Aydin said it was a great honour to return to Pakistan, a country he considers his second home. He said it was gratifying to see the vision behind the Ibn Sina Institute and the World Aging Council, established nearly three decades ago, evolve into an international platform promoting global cooperation in health and ageing. He also thanked the organisers of the Karachi Healthcare Expo and Conference, including Tanveer Abbas, Dr Abid Abbas Sheikh, and their team, for their efforts in arranging the event. Alongside the summit, Karachi D-8 Healthcare Week 2026 is being held from July 20 to 27. The programme includes conferences, academic sessions, business-to-business meetings, investment discussions, innovation forums, and corporate social responsibility activities focused on healthcare and ageing. During the event, organisers will also launch an international signature campaign supporting the establishment of a United Nations World Assembly on Ageing. In addition, the Global Health and Aging Ambassadors Programme will be officially introduced.

The Lahore High Court (LHC) has ruled that illness, physical weakness, old age or disability can serve as valid legal grounds for granting post-arrest bail, issuing an important judgment on bail applications filed on medical grounds. Justice Amjad Rafiq issued a detailed written verdict while deciding the post-arrest bail petition of Dr Iftikhar Ahmed, who is suffering from Parkinsonism, a progressive neurological disorder that affects movement and physical independence. The court observed that if a prison medical report confirms that an accused is physically weak, there is no need to separately assess the severity of the illness. It held that physical weakness itself may be sufficient to justify consideration for bail. According to the judgment, illness and physical weakness are separate legal grounds for granting bail. The court noted that imprisonment can cause greater hardship for elderly, physically weak and disabled individuals, and the justice system should protect them from unnecessary physical suffering. The LHC further stated that the bail application had not been filed on the merits of the criminal case but solely because of the accused’s deteriorating physical condition. The prison medical report confirmed that Dr Iftikhar Ahmed was suffering from Parkinsonism, a disease that gradually limits a person’s physical abilities and independence. Rejecting the prosecution’s argument, the court ruled that the mere fact an accused is receiving medical treatment in prison cannot, by itself, be used as a reason to deny bail. The judgment also referred to principles of Islamic law and international judicial precedents, stating that sick, elderly and vulnerable individuals are entitled to special legal protection and humane treatment. The Lahore High Court granted post-arrest bail to Dr Iftikhar Ahmed against surety bonds of Rs1 million. The court directed the accused not to influence prosecution witnesses, to surrender his passport and not to leave the court’s jurisdiction without prior permission. Dr Iftikhar Ahmed has been in jail since March 2025 in a case registered at Sabzazar Police Station, where he is accused of administering an incorrect injection to a citizen’s son. The criminal proceedings will continue in accordance with the law.