By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party voiced grave concerns over former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s deteriorating health in prison, citing a medical report submitted to the Supreme Court that revealed significant vision loss in his right eye, while the government dismissed allegations of mistreatment and insisted he was receiving adequate facilities.
The report, presented by PTI lawyer Salman Safdar following a court-directed meeting with Khan in Adiala jail, stated that the former leader had lost 85% of the vision in his right eye, leaving him with only 15% remaining. PTI leaders described the situation as a case of “medical neglect” and demanded immediate access to trusted physicians, warning of potential public unrest if the issue was not addressed.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, speaking at a press conference at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House, said Khan had repeatedly informed jail authorities about his vision problems but received no prompt action. “When his eyesight was lost, he was taken to the hospital. It was nothing but a criminal act because, had they allowed the meeting with the family and lawyers, the health issue would have been highlighted,” Afridi said. He added that Khan had never sought relief on health grounds previously, but the party was now raising the alarm due to the risk of “irreversible loss.”
Afridi contrasted the case with that of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, noting that during Sharif’s imprisonment, the judiciary and media had advocated for his medical treatment abroad, which Khan, then in power, had permitted. “At that time, Imran Khan had allowed him [Nawaz Sharif] to go for treatment. At this time, we are unable to hear similar voices from the judiciary and the media,” he said, mentioning that one media outlet’s coverage had prompted a federal minister to confirm the issue.
PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, addressing the media outside the Supreme Court alongside Afridi and Khan’s sister Aleema Khanum, called the episode a “crime” committed by the state. “A crime has been committed against Imran Khan, and this state has committed this crime,” Raja said. He singled out former Adiala jail superintendent Abdul Ghafoor Anjum as the “face of this crime,” alleging that Anjum was transferred on Jan. 16 after Khan’s vision loss became severe, and his replacement, Sajid Baig, delayed hospital referral for another 10 days.
Raja detailed the timeline, saying Khan’s eye pain began in November and led to complete vision loss in December, yet he was only given eye drops for irritation. No specialist was summoned until Jan. 26, when a doctor from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) examined him and recommended immediate hospital treatment. “The word used [in the report for Imran’s ailment] is occlusion of the retina,” Raja said, adding that after an injection at PIMS, Khan regained 10%-15% vision, allowing him to detect light but not full sight. He demanded an urgent examination by doctors trusted by Khan, including those at Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad, and criticised PIMS for lacking retina specialists. “This is a very painful and terrifying situation,” Raja said. He also accused the Islamabad High Court of involvement by not scheduling hearings on Khan’s cases, warning that the nation and history would “avenge” such actions.
Aleema Khanum expressed heartbreak over the report. “We haven’t done enough for a person who has been in jail for two-and-a-half years,” she said, blaming jail authorities for knowing about the issue but failing to provide treatment. She asserted that Khan remained imprisoned because “our judiciary is not free.”
In a statement, PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram called for cases to be registered against Anjum, senior prison officials, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, the Punjab prisons inspector general, and the provincial prisons minister for negligence. “Negligence in Imran Khan’s treatment is unacceptable. Public anger is rising and the situation could soon get out of control,” he said.
Khan’s son Kasim Khan, posting on social media platform X, attributed the vision loss to “a direct consequence of solitary confinement and medical neglect.” “We have been informed that my father, Imran Khan, has lost most of the vision in his right eye, with reports indicating that only 15pc eyesight remains,” he wrote. He blamed the “regime in power, the army chief and the puppets enabling this cruelty,” claiming 922 days of isolation, denied blood tests, and blocked treatment. Kasim added that he and his brother Sulaiman were still denied visas to visit their father.
The opposition alliance Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) announced a sit-in outside Parliament starting after Friday prayers. TTAP chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai said the protest would continue until demands were met, including access to trusted doctors for Khan. “Our demand is just, and nobody will use abusive language or say hurtful things,” he said. “Only courteous and respectful language will be allowed.”
Senate opposition leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, speaking alongside PTI leaders, demanded Khan’s transfer to Shifa Hospital for treatment by specialists like Dr. Asim Yusuf, Dr. Amir Awan, and Dr. Mazhar Ishaq. “He (Imran) was in the custody of the government, and his medical care and access to doctors were their responsibility,” Abbas said.
In a Senate address shared on X, he called for an independent medical board, public release of records, and action against those responsible, warning he would inform national and international human rights organizations.
In an official statement on X, the PTI expressed “profound concern and deep anguish,” condemning the “grave and inexcusable act of negligence” in limiting treatment to eye drops and denying personal physicians. “This constitutes a grave and inexcusable act of negligence. It is not merely a medical lapse; it amounts to playing with his life and health,” the party said. It warned of no compromise on Khan’s health, reserving the right to launch a public movement and pursue legal action against officials. The PTI demanded immediate transfer to a recommended hospital, unrestricted access to lawyers and family, and urged global human rights bodies to intervene, calling the situation “mental and medical torture.”
The party emphasized in another post that the report documented “rapid vision loss, visible distress, lack of full medical transparency, and restricted independent access.” “These aren’t social media claims. They are documented concerns,” it said. “When someone is imprisoned, their health becomes the responsibility of those in power. Period. … You can disagree with a man. You cannot gamble with his health.”
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar rejected the claims, saying in a post on X that the family’s narrative of mistreatment had “fallen flat on its face” given the report’s details on Khan’s diet and routine. “The narrative which was being propagated to international media by Aleema Khan and other members of Imran Khan’s family regarding mistreatment and shabby conditions in prison has fallen flat on its face,” he said. “The report regarding the daily routine and diet plan has cleared all ambiguity. All facilities are available to him and he has privileges more than any other prisoner.”
Khan, ousted in a no-confidence vote in 2022, has been in custody since August 2023 on various charges, which he denies as politically motivated. His party has staged protests demanding his release, amid ongoing tensions with the military-backed government.
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