Serious concern has erupted in Pakistan over the health of former prime minister Imran Khan, with his party and allied leaders warning that a potentially sight-threatening eye condition could lead to permanent vision loss if not treated properly. Khan is serving multiple prison sentences and has reportedly been diagnosed with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO), a condition that can impair blood flow in the retina and risk irreversible blindness without adequate medical care. Protests outside the jail and calls for independent medical access have intensified existing political tensions.
Vision Risk, Medical Access & Protests
Khan’s son and party leaders from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf have raised alarm that the jailed leader’s eye ailment could escalate without specialist treatment not available inside Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. The condition, known as CRVO, involves a blockage in the retinal vein that experts say requires timely, specialised care to prevent permanent damage.
Protests have been held nightly outside the jail, with around-the-clock sit-ins involving Khan’s personal physicians, senior party figures and thousands of supporters demanding immediate access to his trusted doctors. They say authorities have denied visits and family contact, citing security and prison rules, which they claim violates court orders and basic human rights.
Amid the unrest, it emerged that Khan was quietly taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad for a short medical procedure related to his eye condition, a move confirmed by the government but criticised by PTI for lack of transparency and delayed communication to his family. The government insists Khan is now in “good health” post-procedure, though the party disputes this account and continues to demand full medical records and care access.
Political Pressure Grows
A prominent political group, the National Dialogue Committee (NDC), comprising former PTI leaders, has also voiced “serious concern” over Khan’s health situation and urged authorities to allow him to meet his personal physician and form an independent medical board to oversee his treatment. Citing precedent where former PM Nawaz Sharif received such access while imprisoned, the NDC says denying similar treatment now undermines legal rights and could have severe consequences if Khan’s condition worsens.
The controversy has reignited wider debates over prisoners’ rights, political repression and medical transparency in Pakistan, even as authorities push back against claims of negligence and politicisation.
