By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The government on Friday released a detailed medical report on jailed former prime minister Imran Khan to his family, following directives from the prime minister’s office, but Khan’s relatives and supporters quickly disputed the completeness of the disclosure, accusing authorities of withholding key information and defying court assurances.
The move came hours after Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party filed another plea with the Supreme Court seeking access to his full medical records and permission for his personal doctors and family to visit him in prison.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar announced the handover in a post on the social media platform X, noting that the report had been prepared by the executive director of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) hospital in Islamabad and forwarded to the superintendent of Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, where Khan is incarcerated.
Tarar explained that the action followed a letter from National Assembly Opposition Leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, as well as the PTI’s approach to the apex court, “regarding medical checkup of Imran Ahmad Niazi, who is serving his sentences in Central Jail, Rawalpindi.” “On directions from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), a detailed report has been sent by the executive director of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) hospital to the superintendent of Central Jail, Rawalpindi (Adiala), which has been handed over to the family,” Tarar wrote.
The report, authored by PIMS Executive Director Dr. Rana Imran Sikander, detailed Khan’s recent eye treatment. It stated that Khan, 74, had reported reduced vision in his right eye. A senior ophthalmologist from PIMS conducted a comprehensive assessment at Adiala Jail, including slit lamp examination, fundoscopy, intraocular pressure measurements, essential laboratory tests and optical coherence tomography of the retina. “Based on his assessment, a diagnosis of right central retinal vein occlusion was made, and hospital-based follow-up treatment was recommended,” Sikander wrote.
Khan was subsequently transported to PIMS for the procedure, where the treatment plan was explained to him and informed consent was obtained. The intervention was performed in the operating theater under standard sterile protocols and monitoring, lasting about 20 minutes. Khan remained vitally stable throughout and was discharged with post-procedure care instructions and follow-up advice, according to the report.
The disclosure follows the government’s admission last week that Khan had been treated at PIMS, confirming media reports that emerged days earlier. PTI officials condemned what they described as the “secretly transferring” of Khan to the hospital without informing his family or party leadership, and for denying him access to his personal physicians
Achakzai’s letter to Sharif on Tuesday had sought the prime minister’s “personal intervention” to allow Khan’s examination by “trusted” doctors. Khan’s personal physician, Dr. Aasim Yusuf, responded to the report in a video statement, acknowledging that it confirmed the diagnosis of central retinal vein occlusion but criticising it for lacking details on the investigation process or a plan for further treatment.”
A short time ago, Imran’s family shared a copy of a report released by PIMS in Islamabad, summarising the investigations and treatment which he underwent at that hospital in late January this year,” Yusuf said. “The report describes the investigations which were conducted and confirms that a diagnosis of central retinal vein occlusion was made.”
He noted that the document outlined an intraocular injection as treatment but did not provide the results of medical investigations. “Very importantly, the concern that we had raised earlier, that Imran ought to be treated by a retinal specialist, has not been addressed,” Yusuf added, emphasising that while qualified ophthalmologists had handled the case, the condition required specialised retinal expertise. “We have stated earlier that we have no doubt as to the qualifications and experience of the individuals in question, but this is a specialised condition and general ophthalmologists are not best situated to investigate and treat this condition, which should always be treated by retinal specialists as far as possible.”
Yusuf also pointed out the absence of details on follow-up plans or investigations into potential underlying medical conditions. “It is unclear whether a medical specialist saw or evaluated Imran during his illness, or has done so since, to rule out these very important conditions, which do need investigation and treatment in their own right.” Reiterating the gravity of the situation, Yusuf said, “We are not out of the woods as yet. We are still very concerned about Imran’s health and particularly the condition of his eye, and would urge the authorities to please allow me and a team of qualified and appropriately trained retinal specialists to see him urgently and to participate in his care, so as to ensure the best possible outcome and prevent any further damage to his eye.”
Separately, Adiala Jail authorities informed an anti-terrorism court in Islamabad that Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were receiving medical care in line with prison regulations. The brief report, submitted by Deputy Superintendent Jamaat Ali Shah to Judge Amjad Ali Shah, stated that examinations and treatments complied with the Pakistan Prison Rules, 1978. The submission came after the court had issued a contempt notice for earlier non-compliance. The PIMS report was also filed with the court.
However, Khan’s sister Aleema Khan posted on X that the documents provided were inadequate, despite commitments from Supreme Court Chief Justice Yahya Afridi. “The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court committed last Friday that Imran Khan’s medical reports would be provided to his family,” she wrote. “Today, when the jail superintendent appeared before the ATC, only two brief notes were submitted. This conduct reflects a complete disregard for the authority of the chief justice of the SC.”
Earlier Friday, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, speaking to reporters outside the Supreme Court, expressed alarm over Khan’s health and submitted a memorandum to the registrar requesting access for personal doctors and the medical report. “This is the 10th time the party has approached the apex court about Imran, and that they had approached the high courts 16 times as well,” Gohar said. He described Khan’s health as “a very important issue, not just for PTI’s parliamentarians but for the whole country and every Pakistani.”
The ongoing dispute has intensified scrutiny of Khan’s imprisonment, which began in August 2023 after convictions his party claims are politically motivated — allegations the government rejects. Khan, who led Pakistan from 2018 to 2022, remains a polarising figure in the nation’s fractious political landscape, with his health concerns fueling broader tensions between his supporters and the ruling coalition.
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