Imran’s personal doctor flags possible underlying medical condition behind eye problems

Former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s personal physician, Dr. Asim Yousaf, on Friday expressed serious concern over the health of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and said there may be an underlying medical condition behind his reported eye problem.

Imran has been imprisoned since August 2023 and is currently serving a sentence in Adiala prison in a £190m corruption case. Additionally, he faces pending legal proceedings under the Anti-Terrorism Act related to the May 9, 2023 protests. In recent days, PTI has expressed concern over Imran’s health, alleging that the prison authorities and the government prevented treatment for a “severe eye disorder” and demanded immediate medical attention.

Opposition leaders also raised the issue, protesting reports that Imran was transferred to a hospital without informing his family or the party leadership. The government has since confirmed that the former prime minister was briefly taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) for medical treatment.

In a video message, Dr. Yousaf – who also serves as the chief physician at the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital – that for several days rumors had been circulating across Pakistan and abroad about problems with Imran Imran’s eye.

“Two days ago, government sources confirmed that Khan indeed had a problem with his eye and on Saturday – that is six days ago – he was taken to a government hospital in Islamabad where some treatment was done on his eye,” he said.

Read more: Family to decide whether Imran’s treatment is ‘satisfactory’ or not: PTI’s Salman Akram Raja

Dr. Yousaf added that unfortunately no further details were shared about the nature of the condition. “We do not know what exactly happened to his eye, what tests were performed or what treatment was given. So far, it has not been clarified what the nature of the disease was,” he said.

He described the situation as serious and said the condition required expert medical attention. “Any ophthalmologist cannot treat this. Only specialists with sub-specialty training and experience in retinal diseases usually handle such cases,” he said, adding that the PIMS hospital did not have doctors with this specific expertise.

He further noted that such eye diseases were often associated with underlying health problems, including high blood pressure, diabetes, elevated cholesterol levels, autoimmune disorders, or a hypercoagulable condition—a condition in which the blood clots excessively and inappropriately in the blood vessels. He said appropriate investigations and treatment for these conditions were also needed.

Dr. Yousaf said he received a call from PTI General Secretary Salman Akram Raja, who informed him that he could get permission on Thursday evening to meet and examine the former prime minister. Based on this, he contacted the Lahore-based eye surgeon Dr. Khurram Azam, who has received specialist training in retinal diseases in the UK, and both traveled to Adiala prison.

Read: Imran’s ‘hospitalization’ worries PTI

“At 11pm we got there but unfortunately we weren’t allowed to and we couldn’t examine Khan,” he said, adding that they returned after it became clear that no meeting would take place.

Dr. Yousaf also dismissed allegations circulating on social media of ill-treatment by the prison administration, including reports that they had been left in the cold for 12 hours. “None of that happened,” he said, clarifying that neither he nor anyone else had stated that the PTI founder required prolonged hospitalization.

“However, we said that this is a disease that continues for a long time – sometimes two to three years – and requires regular follow-ups. The treatment may need to be repeated more than once, and examinations and care must be carried out in a hospital,” he explained.

Dr. Yousaf appealed to the authorities to ensure transparency regarding the former prime minister’s health and called for clear communication about the diagnosis, tests performed, treatment given and follow-up plan.

He reiterated the need for a retina specialist and said the condition was potentially serious. “Every Pakistani has a right to receive quality medical care and this right should clearly be available to Imran Khan Sahab as well,” he said, personally urging the government to allow him to be involved in the PTI founder’s ongoing medical care whenever and wherever doctors are allowed to visit him.

Read: Govt plays down ‘non-issue’ as PTI writes to rights groups on Imran’s condition