Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founding chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan. PHOTO: ANADOLU AGENCY
ISLAMABAD:
Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan on February 1 underwent treatment for right central retinal vein occlusion at Islamabad’s Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), a report revealed on Friday said.
PIMS CEO Prof Dr. Rana Imran Sikandar submitted the report to the Superintendent of Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail on instructions from the Prime Minister’s Office to communicate to the jail official “the update on the medical condition of Mr. Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi”.
According to the document, issued almost a week after reports of the PTI founder’s alleged surgery emerged, the former prime minister had reported reduced vision in his right eye.
“A senior and qualified Ophthalmologist from PIMS, Islamabad carried out a complete eye assessment at Adiala Jail, including slit lamp examination, fundoscopy, intraocular pressure measurements, essential laboratory tests and OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) of the retina.
“Based on his assessment, a diagnosis of right central retinal vein occlusion was made and hospital-based follow-up treatment was recommended.”
The report said the jailed PTI founder was brought to PIMS on Saturday/Sunday night for the advisory procedure. At the hospital, the treatment plan—follow for administration of anti-VEGF intravitreal injection—was fully explained to the patient, and informed consent was obtained from the patient prior to the procedure.
It said the procedure was performed in the operating room under standard sterile protocols and monitoring. It was completed without any problems in about 20 minutes.
During treatment, the patient remained vitally stable and was discharged with routine post-procedure care instructions, follow-up advice and documents,” it added.
Sources said the Adiala jail authorities have provided the report to the family of the former prime minister.
Meanwhile, in a memorandum submitted to Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi on Friday by a group of PTI lawmakers led by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, Imran Khan was subjected to some rushed and secretive medical procedures at PIMS.
These reports were denied by government ministers for five days and then conceded while Imran Khan’s family was kept completely in the dark about the operation in violation of prison rules.
On 4 February, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar told the Senate that Imran Khan had been taken to PIMS for a procedure at his own request, and assured the House that he had no health problems after the treatment.
The memo said last Tuesday that the family of Bushra Bibi – Imran’s jailed wife – was allowed to meet with her for the first time since November 4, 2025.
“Bushra Bibi has disclosed to her family members that Mr. Imran Khan had been complaining of eye pain for almost two weeks but was not treated.
“A doctor from PIMS only examined him when the pain had become very severe. This doctor insisted on Mr. Imran Khan’s hospitalization and the performance of necessary medical procedures. This resulted in the emergency procedure at PIMS,” it said.
According to the memo, Imran Khan’s rights as a prisoner and a human being have been consistently violated during his imprisonment, which began on August 5, 2023.
“He has been denied visits by family, lawyers and friends for long periods at the whim and will of the powers that be.
“This enforced isolation constitutes torture under all canons of international law and our own jurisprudence. Orders of superior courts, particularly the Islamabad High Court (IHC), have been flouted with impunity.”
It said the IHC, despite repeated petitions seeking action for contempt of court, has refused to act to enforce its own orders and the law.
An appeal filed with the Supreme Court of Pakistan against the IHC’s inaction was returned with a notice to file with the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC). It was done months ago, but no hearing has been fixed.
“Several other petitions filed in the Supreme Court of Pakistan against denial of fundamental rights to Mr. Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi, who also remain incarcerated in the Central Jail at Adiala, Rawalpindi, have also been transferred to the FCC. No hearing has been given in these petitions.
It said on Friday that CM Sohail Afridi and over a hundred parliamentarians approached the Supreme Court building to express their grievance and concern over the brutality meted out to Imran.
“They were stopped at the gates of the Supreme Court. Mr. Salman Akram Raja, Advocate of the Supreme Court, was given an audience by the Hon’ble Chief Justice.
“The concerns of Mr. Imran Khan’s family and the people of Pakistan were placed before the Honorable Chief Justice. Immediate access to Mr. Imran Khan by the family and his personal doctors was sought.
“Following a conversation with the Attorney General of Pakistan, an assurance was given by the Honorable Chief Justice that the medical reports of Mr. Imran Khan would be made available to the family immediately,” it added.
