Court orders specialist eye care for Imran; Allows telephone contact with the wires; Government ensures compliance by February 16
Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan addresses the nation via video link on Wednesday. SCREENSHOT
ISLAMABAD:
In a major development, the federal government on Thursday assured the Supreme Court that PTI founder Imran Khan would have access to specialist ophthalmologists for further medical assessment and would be allowed to contact his sons, Qasim and Salman, amid growing concerns over his deteriorating eyesight in detention.
The assurances were given during the hearing of a case regarding the facilities available to the former Prime Minister incarcerated at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, conducted by a two-member SC bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi and including Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan.
While ordering authorities to ensure timely medical access, the chief justice stressed that Imran Khan, like all prisoners, was entitled to adequate healthcare, but without preferential treatment.
“We will absolutely not say that the founder of the PTI should benefit from greater facilities than other prisoners,” observed CJ Afridi.
Proceedings began with lead lawyer Latif Khosa appearing in court as arguments resumed in motions related to Toshakhana’s criminal trial. Engaging Khosa in a detailed exchange, the Chief Justice remarked that Toshakhana’s appeal appeared to have become infructuous.
Khosa acknowledged that in normal circumstances this would be correct, explaining that one motion involved summoning defense witnesses while the other requested the transfer of the case, but maintained that the court could still consider the case in exceptional circumstances.
Chief Justice Afridi said the appropriate forum should decide the matter, while Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan noted that substantive appeals were already pending in the High Court and interim orders had been consolidated.
The Chief Justice reiterated that the SC cannot assume the role of an appellate court and must respect the jurisdiction of the High Court. After arguments, the court reserved its verdict in the case challenging the Toshakhana trial.
The court then addressed the issue of Imran Khan’s living conditions and medical care, summoning Pakistan’s Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan to the podium. The chief justice noted that the reports submitted by friend-of-the-court lawyer Salman Safdar and the superintendent of Adiala jail were largely consistent and drew attention to paragraph 21 of the report.
According to the report read in court, Imran Khan said he was satisfied with the security arrangements, security measures and food provided in prison, but described the medical facilities available as unsatisfactory and specifically requested to have access to specialist ophthalmologists.
CJ Afridi noted that Imran Khan was currently lodged in a state suite and reiterated that “all prisoners, including the PTI founder, must be provided with the same medical facilities.”
Attorney General Awan assured the bench that the government was ready to provide access to specialist ophthalmologists.
The chief justice noted that the government seemed “in good spirits” and added that it was also important to allow Imran Khan to have telephone contact with his children.
“We have faith in the government. The government is in a good mood today,” the chief justice observed, ordering that access to specialist doctors and phone calls with Imran Khan’s sons be arranged at the earliest. The attorney general said the arrangements would be finalized within two to three days.
In its written order, the SC recorded the Attorney General’s assurance that access to ophthalmologists and telephone contact with Qasim and Salman would be ensured by February 16.
However, the court rejected a request to allow the presence of a family member during Imran Khan’s medical examination. During the hearing, lawyer Salman Safdar had sought permission for the PTI founder to be examined by ophthalmologists in the presence of a family member, but the chief justice said the court could not give such a direction.
On a request to provide additional books to Imran Khan, the chief justice said books could be provided if doctors permit, stressing that health concerns take precedence. “The issue of Imran’s health is the most important,” CJP Afridi observed, adding that “intervention was necessary.”
Attorney General Awan reiterated that providing medical care to prisoners was the responsibility of the state. “If the prisoner is not satisfied, the state will take action,” he said.
The court praised the role of the friend of the court and also commended the government for facilitating medical arrangements. Addressing the court, Safdar said he had received more than 100 calls and messages, including from his wife, asking for details of his prison visit.
“I told them it was a court order and I couldn’t disclose anything, not even to my wife,” he said.
Medical team
Earlier, the SC had ordered the formation of a medical team to examine Imran Khan’s eye after Safdar’s report quoted the PTI founder as saying that “only 15 per cent” of vision remained in his right eye. The court also ordered that the medical examination and telephone contact with her children be completed by February 16.
Safdar, who met Imran Khan on Tuesday at Adiala Prison as an amicus curiae, submitted a seven-page report detailing the former prime minister’s living conditions. In it, it quoted Imran as saying that “despite the treatment given (including an injection), he was left with only 15% vision in his right eye.”
Imran told Safdar that until October 2025, he had “normal vision of 6 x 6 in both eyes”, after which he started having persistent blurry and foggy vision. He said he reported the problem several times to the prison director at the time, but “no action was taken by the prison authorities.”
The report stated: “[Imran] said he subsequently suffered a sudden and complete loss of vision in his right eye, following which an ophthalmologist from Pims Hospital, Dr Muhammad Arif, was called to examine him. According to [Imran]He was diagnosed with a blood clot that caused serious damage, and despite treatment (including an injection), he only has 15% vision in his right eye.
Safdar added that he “personally observed that the petitioner appeared visibly disturbed and deeply distressed by the loss of vision and lack of prompt and specialized medical intervention.”
“Throughout the meeting, the petitioner’s eyes were watery and he repeatedly used a tissue to wipe them, reflecting physical discomfort,” he recalled.
The report further stated that Imran claimed that “regular and periodic blood tests” were not carried out and that although his personal doctors, Dr Faisal Sultan and Dr Asim Yusuf, had already been allowed access, “despite repeated requests and deterioration in their eye condition, no such access was allowed during the relevant period”.
Imran also claimed that for almost three months, the only treatment provided was eye drops, which resulted in no improvement and was followed by major vision impairment. He added that despite being 73 years old, he had not been examined by a dentist for two years despite repeated requests.
Safdar said prison staff informed him that Imran was currently in the custody of Dr. Arif de Pims and that his vital signs were being recorded three times a day. He also clarified a day earlier that all statements attributed to him regarding Imran’s health outside the court filing were “false and distorted”.
Meanwhile, a medical report dated February 6, signed by Pims Executive Director Prof Rana Imran Sikander, was also submitted to the SC. Addressed to the Adiala Prison Administration, the report states that a comprehensive ophthalmological assessment was carried out and a diagnosis of “right central retinal vein occlusion” was made, recommending follow-up treatment in a hospital setting.
Dr Sikander recalled that Imran Khan was brought to Pims on the night of January 24 for a medical procedure. “The treatment plan, i.e. the need to administer an intravitreal injection of anti-VGEF, was fully explained to the patient. Accordingly, informed consent was obtained,” he said, adding that the procedure was completed smoothly in about 20 minutes.
Safdar noted in his report that the medical note provided by Imran’s family did not “contain all the details of the episodes” or identify the ophthalmologist who performed the tests and administered the treatment.
Reacting to the development, Imran Khan’s son Kasim Khan said in an article on He also said that he and his brother Sulaiman were still denied visas to visit their father.
Meanwhile, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the narrative of mistreatment propagated by Imran Khan’s family had “fallen flat” in light of the reports submitted to the court, adding that all facilities were available to the PTI founder.
Once the proceedings were completed, the SC concluded the hearing.
