Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan has suffered severe and irreversible vision loss after months of ignored medical complaints in prison, according to a detailed report submitted to the country’s Supreme Court. His legal team and a court-appointed observer allege that negligence by jail authorities has left the 73-year-old with only 15 percent vision in his right eye, escalating concerns over his health and treatment in custody.

The findings come from lawyer Salman Safdar, who visited Khan at Adiala Jail for the first time in seven weeks and later filed a report describing what aides have condemned as “deliberate, inhuman, and illegal treatment”. Safdar said his client began experiencing distorted and hazy eyesight several months ago, but prison officials failed to act beyond providing eye drops.

Months of complaints ignored

According to Safdar, Khan repeatedly informed jail staff that his vision had deteriorated, but “no action was taken by the jail authorities to address these complaints”.

Khan told the court-appointed visitor that “approximately three to four months earlier, until October 2025, he had normal 6 x 6 vision in both eyes” before his symptoms began.

The report reveals that the former prime minister later suffered a sudden and complete loss of sight in his right eye. An ophthalmologist from Islamabad’s PIMS Hospital eventually examined him and diagnosed a blood clot that caused “severe damage,” leaving him with “only 15 percent vision in his right eye”, despite receiving limited treatment including an injection.

Safdar observed that Khan appeared visibly shaken by the deterioration. “The Petitioner appeared visibly perturbed and deeply distressed by the loss of vision and the absence of timely and specialized medical intervention,” the report noted, adding that his “eyes were watery, and he repeatedly used a tissue to wipe them”.

Supreme Court orders access to doctors and family

Safdar submitted his findings to Chief Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Shahid Bilal Hasan, requesting urgent medical intervention by specialist ophthalmologists and improved prison conditions.

The Supreme Court has directed Adiala Jail to allow Khan access to his personal doctors and to permit phone calls to his sons, Kasim and Sulaiman.

Earlier this year, Pakistan’s authorities confirmed that Khan underwent a 20-minute procedure at PIMS Hospital on 24 January, when minister Ata Tarar insisted he was “fine and healthy”.

Harsh confinement and health neglect alleged

Safdar’s report describes lengthy solitary confinement, deteriorating living conditions and severe restrictions on family and legal visits.

Khan has reportedly been held in isolation since October 2023, a period amounting to more than two years.

The report states that despite his age, “he required regular and periodic blood tests, which were not conducted”, and that “no dentist had examined or treated him over the past two years” even though he requested care.

Although permitted a weekly meeting with his wife only after recent administrative changes, interactions with his sons have been almost non-existent, with just two phone calls allowed throughout 2025. Legal access has also been heavily restricted, with Safdar noting that for five months Khan was unable to meet his lead counsel or any of his legal team.

Prison conditions ‘basic, hot and insect-ridden’

According to the report, Khan’s cell contains basic furniture, a set of 100 books, a prayer mat, two dumbbells and a non-functional television.

During summer months, the room reportedly becomes hot and humid, with insects and mosquitos entering frequently. Khan is said to have suffered food poisoning multiple times in the heat.

A fellow prisoner assigned as his mushaqati assists with cleaning, and Khan is allowed to walk in a small 12-by-30-foot lawn during daytime hours.

A former interior minister had previously described him as “the most privileged prisoner in Pakistan”, claiming he had access to gym equipment and a cook.

From cricket captain to isolated prisoner

Khan, who captained the Pakistan national cricket team before entering politics, served as prime minister from 2018 to 2022. His government launched major welfare and infrastructure programmes, including free healthcare schemes and renewable energy initiatives.

He was jailed in August 2023 and now faces more than 100 cases, including charges related to state secrets and the alleged sale of state gifts – accusations he maintains are politically driven. His arrest triggered mass protests, met with a sweeping crackdown that saw thousands detained.

Safdar’s latest report warns the court that “any further delay poses a serious risk to the Petitioner’s well-being” and that immediate medical assessment is essential.

For Khan’s supporters, the findings bolster long-standing claims that Pakistan’s military establishment is using imprisonment to break a popular civilian leader. As one line in the report records in Khan’s own words: he “expects nothing beyond the basic necessities essential for his survival.”