Imran Khan, Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister, was taken from Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad overnight for an eye examination and treatment, then returned to prison, prompting his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party to demand immediate and unrestricted access to him. The 74-year-old former cricket star, who served as premier from 2018 to 2022 and has been behind bars since August 2023 on multiple corruption charges he denies and calls politically motivated, received another intravitreal injection for central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO), according to the government hospital. PIMS said his vital parameters were normal, he was clinically stable and he was discharged around 2:30am on Wednesday, with instructions for follow-up care.
Key Takeaways: Khan briefly left Adiala Jail for an eye procedure at PIMS and was returned to his cell before dawn; the hospital said he was stable after another injection for CRVO. PTI says neither his family nor personal doctors were informed and warns that his health must not become a political bargaining chip. The episode renews scrutiny of the Pakistani authorities’ handling of Khan’s medical care and prison conditions.
The overnight hospital visit is the latest flashpoint in a long-running confrontation between Khan’s PTI and Pakistan’s government, which rejects his claim that the corruption cases against him are politically motivated. Khan’s arrest in August 2023 triggered unrest and deepened concerns among his supporters and international rights groups about due process, prison conditions and access to independent medical care. The PTI has repeatedly said that Khan’s family, personal physicians and legal team should be allowed to verify his health, arguing that transparency is essential for a former prime minister whose case carries broad political significance.
In a statement, PIMS said the check was conducted on the advice of Khan’s ophthalmologist and that he had received a series of intravitreal injections in his right eye to treat CRVO, a condition diagnosed after he reported reduced vision; his first injection was in January. The hospital said his general physical examination was normal and that he was discharged at about 2:30am with further care instructions. PTI information secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram told Al Jazeera that the family and personal doctors were not told about the visit and that the party learned of it from news reports. 'A human being’s health is not a political bargaining chip. Nor can the medical treatment of a former prime minister be reduced to a procedural formality,' PTI said, adding that the state bears full responsibility for his safety and wellbeing.
During a hearing on Tuesday, Khan’s lawyer Salman Safdar told the Islamabad High Court that Khan said his eyesight had improved but his blood pressure remained a concern. Safdar appeared on behalf of Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, to appeal against their convictions in a property case. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry told reporters that Khan was receiving the required medical care and that his treatment was not being neglected. In August, the Supreme Court ordered that Khan should be moved to a private hospital of his choice in Islamabad; instead, he was taken to PIMS and returned to jail.
The PTI’s demands are likely to keep the case in the courts and in public debate, with Khan’s lawyers expected to press for independent medical assessments and family access at upcoming hearings. For now, the authorities have not announced any further hospital referrals, and Khan remains in Adiala Jail as his legal appeals continue. The immediate question is whether the courts will order fuller transparency over his treatment and whether his family and doctors will be allowed to see him without restrictions.
Source: www.aljazeera.com