Former Pakistan Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan was shifted from Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad in the early hours of Wednesday for emergency treatment of a serious eye condition. His right-eye vision had weakened over time, and he has been under treatment since January.
Tests showed that Khan has central retinal vein occlusion. A team of ophthalmologists administered an intravitreal anti-VEGF injection in his right eye. After about 50 minutes of treatment and medical tests, his vital parameters were found to be normal. He was discharged at around 2:30 am and returned to jail.
Khan became Prime Minister in 2018 and lost office in 2022 through a no-confidence motion. He has been in prison since August 2023 and is serving a 14-year sentence in cases involving more than 100 allegations, including corruption, incitement to violence and terrorism. He has dismissed all of them as politically motivated.
The PTI has questioned the treatment, which was carried out at night, alleging a lack of transparency and expressing deep concern over his health. The party said the government is fully responsible for his safety and well-being, and demanded immediate, unrestricted access for his personal doctors, family members and legal team.