Imran Khan, Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister, is facing permanent eye damage after being diagnosed with a central retinal vein occlusion, according to his political party. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said the 73-year-old is being denied proper medical treatment and access to family and lawyers while in solitary confinement.
Khan has been in prison since August 2023 on corruption and state secrets charges, which he claims are politically motivated. He is largely held in solitary confinement at Adiala prison, and his lawyers and party leaders say they have been denied access for the past three months. A court order permitting visits twice a week has not been followed, with Khan last meeting his lawyers 100 days ago.
The PTI said Khan’s right eye has a dangerous blockage that, if untreated, could cause permanent vision loss. “Medical experts who reportedly checked him in jail say this is an extremely sensitive condition,” the party stated. Khan already has blurred vision, and his personal doctor has not been allowed to examine him for months, which the party called “reckless” and a danger to his health.
Protests by lawyers, party figures and Khan’s sisters demanding access have been met with teargas and water cannon. His sister Uzma Khanum said after a brief meeting in December that his health was fine, but added: “Presently, we don’t know anything about the condition of his eye as we are not allowed to meet him.”
PTI chair Gohar Ali Khan said Khan is “incommunicado and in solitary confinement, which is against his fundamental rights.” He urged immediate access for the party and physicians. Khan was ousted as prime minister in 2022 after falling out with the military and faces over 100 charges. He was sentenced to 14 years in January 2025, while his wife Bushra Bibi received seven years.
