A two-member medical team appointed by the Pakistani government under directions of the Supreme Court has submitted a detailed report on the health of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. According to documents accessed by ABP Live, senior ophthalmologists visited Adiala Jail to examine his deteriorating eyesight. While the report suggests that his condition has improved following treatment, political leaders and close sources continue to raise serious concerns regarding delays in diagnosis, alleged administrative obstruction, and the manner in which his medical care has been handled during incarceration.
Government-Appointed Team Reviews Condition
The medical examination was conducted by Dr Nadeem Qureshi, Head of the Vitreo Retina Department at Al Shifa Eye Hospital, Rawalpindi, and Dr Muhammad Arif Khan, Head of the Ophthalmology Department at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS). Both doctors visited Adiala Jail to carry out detailed ocular assessments.
According to the submitted report, Imran Khan’s right eye vision without corrective lenses currently measures 6/24. This is the same eye in which he developed Central Retinal Vein Occlusion (CRVO), a serious condition linked to impaired blood flow in the retina. Sources allege that the CRVO developed due to prolonged inadequate management of his high blood pressure during imprisonment.
When the first anti-VEGF injection was administered during the night ofJanuary 24-25, his right eye vision without glasses was recorded at 6/36. The improvement to 6/24, as mentioned in the latest report, is being presented as evidence that the initial treatment has had a positive effect.
With corrective glasses, his left eye vision remains fully normal at 6/6, while the right eye improves to 6/9. The medical team also observed that internal retinal swelling has reduced from 550 to 350 units, indicating a measurable decline in inflammation caused by the blood clot associated with CRVO.
Imran Khan has been prescribed three medications: one aimed at reducing retinal swelling, one for glaucoma management, and another to prevent itching and dryness. The report further states that PTI leaders Barrister Gohar Khan and Allama Raja Naseer Abbas visited PIMS to receive a briefing on his health status. His personal doctors, Dr Khurram Mirza and Dr Aseem Yousuf, were reportedly updated via telephone.
Despite these clinical updates, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi publicly questioned how such damage occurred in the first place. He stated that while the report mentions improvement, it implicitly acknowledges prior harm. Afridi also raised concerns that treatment is being administered without the presence of family members or private physicians, which he suggested fuels suspicion.
Allegations Of Delay In Diagnosis & Treatment
According to sources close to the matter, Imran Khan first began noticing slight blurring in his right eye during the second week of October last year. His blood pressure reportedly remained consistently above 160 from July onwards. It is alleged that appropriate adjustments in medication were not made and that the necessary combination of antihypertensive drugs was never administered to adequately control his condition.
In November, when he began complaining of visibly reduced vision, it is alleged that Adiala Jail Superintendent Abdul Ghafoor Anjum restricted his access to family members after November 4. His relatives were reportedly not informed about the worsening state of his eye. Instead of arranging specialist consultation, jail medical staff allegedly advised him to use corticosteroid eye drops multiple times daily.
On December 9, a team of doctors from PIMS visited the jail after further complaints. Imran Khan reportedly informed them that he was losing vision in his right eye and could not see clearly even with glasses. Doctors initially suspected cataract. However, without access to advanced diagnostic equipment, the examination was allegedly conducted using limited tools, including a mobile phone flashlight. The team reportedly prescribed medication and departed without conducting specialised imaging.
By January 14, Imran Khan is said to have reported complete loss of vision in his right eye. A three-member PIMS medical team visited on January 16 and recommended urgent advanced testing at PIMS using specialised equipment. Sources allege that instead of acting immediately, the then jail superintendent postponed action, instructing doctors to complete paperwork and await the assumption of charge by the new superintendent.
Diagnosis Confirmed After Administrative Transition
Following the change in jail administration, advanced ophthalmic equipment, including a slit-lamp machine, ophthalmoscope, fundus camera, tonometer and OCT machine, was brought to Adiala Jail on January 19. It was during this detailed examination that Central Retinal Vein Occlusion was formally diagnosed.
Doctors reportedly advised immediate hospital admission for comprehensive treatment. However, sources claim that approval processes were delayed. At the time, Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif were attending the World Economic Forum in Davos. It is alleged that no immediate directive was issued to facilitate hospital transfer.
Permission was eventually granted after their return. On the night of January 24-25, Imran Khan was taken under tight security to PIMS, where a 0.5 ml anti-VEGF injection was administered into his right eye. A slit-lamp examination was conducted, and infection-prevention drops were prescribed.
Doctors reportedly cautioned that his right eye remained vulnerable to infection and emphasised the need for high hygiene standards within his cell. He was instructed not to rub his eyes and to maintain strict hand hygiene before being returned to his eight-foot by ten-foot cell in Adiala Jail.
Public Disclosure & Continuing Questions
On January 31, PIMS issued a public statement confirming that Imran Khan was suffering from CRVO and that treatment had been administered. Critics argue that this confirmation came weeks after the onset of symptoms and days after treatment had already begun.
On February 6, PIMS reportedly sent a written medical report to the jail authorities. According to sources, this document largely mirrored the earlier press statement and did not elaborate on the severity of his visual impairment.
On February 10, Supreme Court-appointed amicus curiae Salman Safdar met Imran Khan at Adiala Jail. Safdar reportedly noted that Khan stated he could see only 15 per cent from his right eye and that his eyes were continuously tearing. Medical sources have suggested that excessive tearing can sometimes indicate irritation or potential infection.
However, the most recent examination conducted by the government-appointed team states that no signs of infection were detected. The anterior chamber reportedly showed no cellular presence, the vitreous was clear with minimal fibrillar opacities, the cornea was clear in both eyes, and no neovascularisation of the iris was observed.
While the official medical report indicates clinical improvement and absence of infection, political leaders and close sources continue to question the sequence of events, the delay in advanced diagnosis, and the administrative handling of Imran Khan’s medical care during his incarceration.
The matter remains under scrutiny as legal, political and medical developments continue to unfold.
