PTI slams govt for ‘crime’ against Imran after eye health revelations

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders on Thursday accused the state of “committing a crime” against incarcerated former Prime Minister Imran Khan after the Supreme Court was told that only 15 per cent of his vision remained in his right eye.

The information was conveyed to the apex court by PTI lawyer Salman Safdar, who quoted the former prime minister as saying that he had only 15 per cent vision left in his right eye following medical complications.

Read: Imran Khan’s right eye has 15% vision, SC report details prison conditions

Speaking to media outside the SC after a hearing, PTI general secretary Salman Akram Raja’s lawyer said it was impossible to keep control of one’s emotions after reading the report and said the situation went far beyond the law.

“A crime has been committed against Imran Khan and the state has committed it and the face of this crime is Abdul Ghafoor Anjum. We will not forget this name,” Raja said, adding that Imran had given “special instructions” to initiate legal action against the former superintendent of Adiala Prison.

Raja claimed that Imran’s eye pain started in November and by December he completely lost vision in his right eye. He claimed that, despite repeated complaints, the former prime minister was only given eye drops and examined by a qualified specialist until late January.

According to Raja, a doctor from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) examined Imran at Adiala jail on January 26 and advised him for immediate hospital treatment. He then received treatment, including an injection, at PIMS Islamabad. Raja said the term used in the report was “retinal occlusion”, adding that Imran had only regained 10-15 per cent vision and could detect light but had not fully recovered.

He further alleged that the Islamabad High Court had not fixed the hearing of Imran’s cases for almost a year and demanded that his legal matters be heard without delay.

In a separate statement, the PTI expressed “deep concern and anguish” over the report, calling the alleged denial of access to personal doctors an “act of gross and inexcusable negligence.”

The party demanded immediate and unrestricted access to trusted doctors, specialized treatment at a reputable hospital, restoration of family visitation rights and unhindered access to a lawyer.

He warned that any further negligence could provoke a public backlash and reserved the right to take legal action against prison authorities and other officials.

Separately, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the PTI’s narrative about Imran’s “mistreatment and deplorable conditions of detention had fallen flat.”

He said the report had cleared “all ambiguity”, adding that Imran had full facilities, with “more privileges than any other prisoner”.