Amid escalating concerns over his health condition, Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan was moved from Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail to Islamabad’s Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) on Tuesday under extraordinary security for follow-up treatment on his deteriorating eyesight, officials said.
The jailed chief of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was moved in a 15-vehicle convoy of black cars accompanied by signal jammers and a heavy security escort.
At PIMS, doctors administered a second intravitreal anti-VEGF injection — a specialised therapy used to treat retinal disease and preserve vision.
A medical board including cardiology and internal-medicine specialists first assessed Khan and declared him clinically stable, with normal cardiac tests, before the ophthalmic procedure was carried out as day-care surgery by retinal surgeons from PIMS and Al-Shifa Eye Hospital, according to an official hospital statement.
He remained stable throughout and was returned to Adiala Jail after the procedure with follow-up instructions, the hospital said.
Khan’s deteriorating health has become a flashpoint in Pakistan’s already volatile political climate.
Earlier this month, his son Kasim Khan alleged that prolonged solitary confinement and medical neglect had left the 1992 World Cup-winning former Pakistan captain nearly blind in his right eye, saying his father had “lost most of the vision,” with reports indicating only about 15 per cent eyesight remains.
PTI leaders and family members have accused authorities of mistreatment, while the government insists Khan is receiving appropriate medical care in custody.
The 73-year-old has been jailed since August 2023 following convictions in corruption-related cases that he and his party say are politically motivated — charges authorities deny.
His health concerns have triggered protests by PTI supporters and appeals from former cricketers, including Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev and Sourav Ganguly, urging Pakistan to ensure adequate treatment for the imprisoned ex-leader.
