By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan underwent a successful eye procedure last week and remains in stable condition, the head of a major Islamabad hospital said on Saturday, amid concerns raised by his party over his health and access to personal doctors.
Professor Dr Rana Imran Sikander, executive director of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), said in a video statement that the 74-year-old Khan had complained of reduced vision in his right eye, leading to a diagnosis of right central vein occlusion. A qualified ophthalmologist from the hospital conducted a complete eye assessment at Adiala jail, where Khan is incarcerated, including strict lab examinations, ocular endoscopy, intraocular pressure measurement, essential laboratory tests and an OCT scan of the retina, Sikander said.
Based on the initial assessment, hospital-based treatment was recommended, and Khan was brought to Pims on the night of Jan. 24 for the advised procedure. “It (the procedure) was completed smoothly in approximately 20 minutes. During the treatment, the patient remained vitally stable and was discharged with routine post-procedure care instructions and follow-up advice and documents,” Sikander said.
Khan was fully informed about the procedure upon arrival at the hospital, and informed consent was obtained prior to the intervention, which was carried out in the operation theatre under standard sterile protocol and monitoring, the doctor said.
The update came a day after Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party approached the Supreme Court, seeking its assistance in arranging a meeting between the PTI founder and his personal physicians, with the help of Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi. PTI leaders staged a sit-in outside the Supreme Court on Friday, demanding a meeting with the incarcerated party founder and access to information about his health.
Following the protest and a meeting with the chief justice, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja told reporters that the party had been assured it would receive a medical report for Khan. He said the achievement was “not entirely satisfactory”, adding that the party had fought a “moral case” outside the court.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar had earlier confirmed on Thursday that Khan underwent a 20-minute medical procedure for an eye ailment on the night of Jan. 24 at Pims in Islamabad. Speaking to a private television channel, Tarar said eye specialists had examined the PTI founder at Adiala jail and advised that he be shifted to Pims for further assessment and treatment. He said the ex-premier was “absolutely healthy”.
Reports about Khan’s brief hospital visit emerged on Wednesday, with local media saying the PTI founder underwent treatment for an eye ailment on Saturday and was subsequently returned to Adiala jail the following day. A report quoting a senior doctor at Pims said Khan was brought to the hospital under strict security on the night of Jan. 24 for a medical procedure, which was completed in the early morning hours. The doctor said there was “extraordinary movement” on Saturday night, and the operation theatres and anaesthesia room were cordoned off ahead of Khan’s arrival at Pims.
PTI Chief Barrister Gohar Khan said he had learned of the reported eye infection from the media. On Jan. 28, the PTI raised concerns about Khan’s health, saying it had learned through credible reports that he had been diagnosed with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) in his right eye, which could cause permanent eyesight damage if not treated promptly.
The party alleged that the jail administration was insisting that the treatment be provided inside the prison, contrary to a medical expert’s advice to take him to a hospital. Subsequently, the PTI condemned the act of “secretly transferring” Khan to Pims, deliberately keeping his family and the party leadership uninformed, and denying him access to personal physicians.
The Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayin-i-Pakistan (TTAP) also termed Khan’s transfer to the hospital without the knowledge of his family and personal physicians a “criminal negligence”. Khan’s sister, Noreen Niazi, who had earlier raised doubts about her brother’s ailment, reiterated concerns that his family and lawyers were not being kept informed and demanded that his medical reports be made public. On Thursday, she refuted claims of an eye-related issue, affirming that he had no such problems and was in good health.
Khan, who was ousted as prime minister in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in 2022, has been jailed since August 2023 on multiple charges ranging from corruption to inciting violence, which he denies. His party says the cases are politically motivated.
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