‘Any delay could be dangerous’: Supreme Court directs immediate health examination for Imran Khan

Islamabad: Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, 73, currently jailed in Adiala Jail since August 2023, has reportedly lost nearly 85 percent of vision in his right eye due to central retinal vein occlusion, according to a medical report submitted to the Supreme Court.

The report was prepared by Barrister Salman Safdar, appointed as amicus curiae (friend of the court), following a two-hour meeting with Khan on February 10. It states that Khan’s repeated complaints of blurred and hazy vision over nearly three months were ignored, eventually leading to a sudden and complete loss of sight in the affected eye. An eye specialist from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) confirmed the diagnosis.

Safdar observed that Khan appeared visibly distressed, with watery eyes throughout their discussion. The report warned that any further delay in treatment could pose serious health risks and recommended an immediate independent examination by specialist ophthalmologists, including Khan’s personal doctors. In response, the Supreme Court directed authorities to form a medical board to examine him and also allowed him to speak by phone with his sons in the United Kingdom. The court asked that both steps be completed by February 16, with Chief Justice Yahya Afridi emphasising the urgency of Khan’s medical care.

Khan, a former cricket captain and Pakistan’s prime minister from 2018 until his removal in a no-confidence vote in 2022, has been jailed on multiple charges described by his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), as politically motivated. The party expressed deep concern over his deteriorating eyesight and the lack of timely medical attention, demanding unrestricted access to his personal physicians, transfer to a reputable hospital for specialised care, and restoration of full family visitation rights. The report also noted that Khan has been in solitary confinement for over two years, with limited access to his legal team and family. In June 2024, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention said his imprisonment lacked legal basis and appeared aimed at preventing him from holding political office.

Khan’s health situation has heightened political tensions in Pakistan, with analysts and political observers calling for transparency regarding prison conditions and access to urgent medical care for the former prime minister.