Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's family has expressed extreme concern after he was denied hospital treatment for a serious eye condition, despite a Supreme Court order. The 73-year-old, incarcerated for over two years, has lost nearly 85% of vision in his right eye and underwent surgery in late January to remove a blood clot.
On Sunday, a specialist eye hospital in Rawalpindi prepared to receive Khan, but authorities instead examined him within the prison compound without his personal doctors or family present. His party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), condemned the 'closed-door' procedure as lacking credibility.
Khan's sisters, Noreen and Aleema Khanum, rejected any assessment by government-appointed doctors, calling the process 'unacceptable'. Aleema Khanum stated that Khan should not receive treatment without the presence and approval of his personal doctors and family, adding that the family is 'extremely worried' about the resistance to specialists recommended by his doctors.
The government has denied withholding treatment, with special assistant Rana Sanaullah claiming Khan first reported his eye problem in early January and that doctors examined him every two days. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said further check-ups would be conducted at a specialised facility, with a report submitted to the Supreme Court.
PTI spokesperson Zulfi Bukhari denounced the secretive medical assessment, stating it 'deepens suspicion' and raises more questions than answers. Khan's lawyer, Salman Safdar, noted that Khan has been 'visibly perturbed and deeply distressed' by his vision loss and lack of timely medical intervention since October last year.
Khan, who served as prime minister from 2018 to 2022, faces numerous criminal and civil cases he claims are politically motivated. His family also fears another assassination attempt after he survived being shot during a rally in November 2022, which left him with nerve damage.
