Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founding chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan. PHOTO: ANADOLU AGENCY
ISLAMABAD:
Incarcerated former prime minister Imran Khan on February 1 underwent treatment for right central retinal vein occlusion at Islamabad’s Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), said a report unveiled on Friday.
PIMS Executive Director Prof Dr Rana Imran Sikandar submitted the report to superintendent of Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail on the instruction of the PM office in order to communicate to the jail official “the update about the medical condition of Mr Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi”.
According to the document, issued almost a week after the emergence of reports regarding the PTI founder’s alleged operation, the former PM had reported reduced vision in the right eye.
“A senior and qualified ophthalmologist from PIMS, Islamabad, conducted a complete eye assessment at Adiala Jail, including slit lamp examination, fundoscopy, intraocular pressure measurements, essential laboratory tests and OCT (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.”
The report said the jailed PTI founder was brought to PIMS on the night between Saturday/Sunday for the advised procedure. At the hospital, the treatment planheed for administering anti VEGF intravitreal injectionwas explained in full to the patient and an informed consent was obtained from the patient, prior to the procedure.
It said the procedure was carried out in the operation theatre under standard sterile protocols and monitoring. It was completed smoothly in approximately 20 minutes.
During the treatment, the patient remained vitally stable, and was discharged with routine post- procedure care instructions, follow up advice and documents,” it added.
Sources said Adiala Jail authorities have provided the report to the family of the former PM.
Meanwhile, in a memorandum submitted to Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi on Friday by a group of PTI lawmakers led by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, Imran Khan was subjected to some rushed and secretive medical procedures at PIMS.
These reports were denied by government ministers for five days and then conceded while the family of Imran Khan was kept entirely in the dark about the operation in violation of jail rules.
On February 4, Minister for Law Azam Nazeer Tarar told the Senate that Imran Khan had been taken to PIMS for a procedure on his own request, assuring the House that he had no health issues following treatment.
The memo said last Tuesday the family of Bushra BibiImran’s jailed wifewas allowed to meet with her for the first time since 4 November, 2025.
“Bushra Bibi has revealed to her family members that Mr Imran Khan had been complaining of pain in his eye for nearly two weeks but was not attended to.
“A doctor from PIMS examined him only when the pain had become very serious. This doctor insisted on Mr Imran Khan’s hospitalization and the conduct of necessary medical procedures. This resulted in the rushed procedure at the PIMS,” it said.
According to the memo, the rights of Imran Khan as a prisoner and human being have been consistently violated during his incarceration that started on August 5, 2023.
“He has been denied visitation by family, lawyers and friends for long periods of time at the whim and will of the powers that be.
“This forced isolation constitutes torture under all cannons of international law and our own jurisprudence. Orders of the superior courts, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in particular, have been disregarded with impunity.”
It said the IHC has, despite repeated petitions seeking action for contempt of court, declined to act in order to enforce its own orders and the law.
Appeal filed before the Supreme Court of Pakistan against the inaction of the IHC was returned with direction that it be filed before the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC). That was done months ago but no hearing has been fixed.
“Several other petitions filed before the Supreme Court of Pakistan against the denial of fundamental rights to Mr Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi, who also remains incarcerated in Central Jail Adiala, Rawalpindi, have also been transferred to the FCC. No hearing has been granted in these petitions.
It said on Friday last CM Sohail Afridi and over a hundred parliamentarians approached the Supreme Court building to voice their grievance and concern against the brutality being meted out to Imran.
“They were stopped at the gates of the Supreme Court. Mr Salman Akram Raja, Advocate Supreme Court, was granted an audience by the Honourable Chief Justice.
“The concerns of the family of Mr Imran Khan and the people of Pakistan were placed before the Honourable Chief Justice. Immediate access to Mr Imran Khan by the family and his personal physicians was sought.
“After a conversation with the Attorney General for Pakistan an assurance was provided by the Honourable Chief Justice that the medical reports of Mr Imran Khan would be made available to the family forthwith,” it added.
