Pakistan's ex-PM Khan receives follow-up eye treatment at Islamabad hospital

Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister Imran Khan was taken to a government hospital in Islamabad on Tuesday for follow-up treatment for an eye condition, hospital officials said.

Khan, who heads the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), was transferred from Adiala Jail to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) under heightened security. It marked his second hospital visit after consultations held in late January, when doctors advised a series of injections.

A physician at PIMS said in a statement that Khan was brought in on Feb. 24 to receive a second anti-VEGF intravitreal injection as part of his ongoing care. “Prior to the procedure, he was examined by a board of specialists: consultant cardiologist who also performed echocardiography and ECG (result: normal) and consultant physician.”

The doctor said Khan was “clinically stable.”

“After obtaining informed consent, and under standard monitoring, precautionary measures and protocols in the operation theatre, he was injected with second dose of intravitreal injection of anti-VEGF under guidance of microscopy by consultant phthalmologist, and consultant vitreo-retinal surgeon of PIMS and Al Shifa Eye Hospital,” he added.

The treatment was carried out as a day-care procedure, the physician said, noting that Khan’s vital signs remained stable before, during and after the injection. He was later discharged with follow-up instructions and medical records.

Family criticizes government medical handling

Imran Khan’s sister, Aleema Khanum, expressed deep concerns over her brother’s medical care in a statement on X, saying the family does not trust diagnoses or test results from government-run hospitals.

She said the family learned from media reports that Khan was taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) late at night for what was described as a second eye injection. “When the law requires that family members be informed before any medical procedure on a prisoner, why were we not notified?” she asked.

Aleema also alleged that government pressure is being placed on medical staff. “There are already reports from PIMS that doctors are being threatened with serious consequences if any information about Imran Khan is shared,” she claimed.

She added that the family rejects any official reports issued by the facility and demanded that Khan be examined and treated at Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad, under the supervision of his personal doctors and in the presence of family members. She questioned PIMS’s ability to treat the eye condition, saying it is “not equipped for such care.”

Describing the government’s handling of her brother’s treatment as “criminal,” Aleema warned that authorities will be held accountable for any violations or harm inflicted on him.

Separately, PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan posted on X that he was informed around 2 a.m. that Khan had been brought to PIMS for the injection. “I was not informed in advance,” he said, reiterating the party’s demand that Imran Khan receive a full medical checkup and treatment at Shifa International Hospital, under the supervision of his personal doctors and with family present.

Khan’s medical condition has become a new source of friction between the government and the opposition, including PTI and the Tehreek Tahaffuz Ayeen Pakistan (TTAP) alliance, after a report was submitted to the Supreme Court of Pakistan by his lawyer and the court-appointed amicus curiae, Barrister Salman Safdar.

The report said Khan had been diagnosed with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO), a condition that typically affects older adults and is associated with cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, elevated cholesterol and heart disease.

It also said the 73-year-old former leader, who has been in custody since August 2023, has complained of losing 85% of the vision in his right eye.

Khan has been imprisoned for 29 months following convictions that he and his party describe as politically motivated.