Pakistan says jailed ex-PM Imran Khan is in good health. (PHOTO: X)
Pakistan’s government on Thursday said jailed former prime minister Imran Khan is in good health after undergoing a medical procedure for an eye ailment at a government hospital, rejecting claims by his party that his condition is life-threatening.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Khan was examined by a team of doctors at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, where he is serving multiple prison sentences, before being shifted to a government hospital in the capital on Saturday.
According to Tarar, Khan underwent a 20-minute medical procedure with his consent and was later returned to Adiala Jail the same night.
“He is in good health,” Tarar told Geo News, amid widespread speculation on social media about Khan’s condition.
The statement came after the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) raised alarm over Khan’s health, claiming he is suffering from a serious eye condition and is being denied proper medical care.
PTI spokesperson Zulfiquar Bukhari said earlier this week that Khan required “immediate medical attention” and warned that delays could cause “irreversible harm.”
Khan’s son Kasim Khan said on X that the former prime minister has been diagnosed with central retinal vein occlusion, a dangerous blockage that can lead to permanent vision loss if left untreated.
“Yet authorities continue to block his treatment and deny him access to the doctors he trusts,” Kasim wrote, adding that he has not been allowed to speak to his father.
Responding to Tarar’s remarks, Bukhari said the government’s handling of Khan’s health was “opaque and alarming,” claiming neither Khan’s family nor his legal team was informed before or after he was taken for treatment.
He said authorities had failed to provide verifiable details about the procedure, the doctors involved, or Khan’s current medical condition.
“The attempt to portray this as a routine medical matter raises more questions than answers,” Bukhari said, demanding immediate access for Khan’s family and personal physicians.
PTI leaders and Khan’s lawyers have alleged that the former prime minister has been kept in solitary confinement and denied access to his lawyers and family for months, despite court orders allowing visits twice a week.
Gohar Ali Khan, PTI chairman and barrister, said the party was deeply concerned.
“He is incommunicado and in solitary confinement, which violates his fundamental rights,” he said, calling for urgent access to Khan and his doctors.
Authorities have recently restricted meetings between Khan and his family after relatives publicly relayed political messages urging supporters to protest against the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Khan has not been seen in public since his arrest in 2023 and continues to use posts on X, via aides, to criticise the military and Sharif, alleging his removal from office in April 2022 was part of a US-backed conspiracy claims denied by Washington, Pakistan’s military, and the government.
Khan, 73, served as Pakistan’s prime minister from 2018 to 2022. He has been in jail since August 2023, facing multiple convictions related to corruption and leaking state secrets, which he says are politically motivated.
In January 2025, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison in a corruption case. His wife, Bushra Bibi, was also convicted and remains jailed.
Despite his imprisonment, Khan continues to command significant popular support, and his party remains the main opposition force in parliament.
Sofia Babu Chacko is a journalist with over five years of experience covering Indian politics, crime, human rights, gender issues, and stories about marginalized communities. She believes that every voice matters, and journalism has a vital role to play in amplifying those voices. Sofia is committed to creating impact and shedding light on stories that truly matter. Beyond her work in the newsroom, she is also a music enthusiast who enjoys singing.
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