Pakistan’s imprisoned former Prime Minister, Imran Khan, has reportedly lost 85% of vision in his right eye, according to his lawyer who made the revelation to the Supreme Court. This development adds to the legal and political hurdles Khan is currently facing.
Khan, aged 73, has been incarcerated since August 2023, serving a 14-year term on corruption charges, which he claims were fabricated by the military to bar him from politics. However, the military refutes these allegations.
In a recent report seen by Reuters, Khan’s lawyer, Salman Safdar, disclosed that Khan, a former cricket icon turned politician, now has only 15% vision in his right eye. Khan had been complaining about persistent blurry vision since October 2025, but prison authorities allegedly did not address his concerns.
Safdar submitted this information following a two-hour meeting with Khan, as mandated by the Supreme Court, which set a deadline of February 16 for authorities to permit Khan’s personal physician to evaluate his condition.
Expressing deep concern over Khan’s deteriorating vision, Safdar noted that Khan seemed visibly distressed, with watery eyes, constantly wiping them with a tissue.
In a recent development, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar disclosed that Khan underwent a 20-minute eye treatment procedure at a hospital earlier this month. A medical report dated February 6, based on an examination by an ophthalmologist at Khan’s prison cell in Rawalpindi, diagnosed him with a right central retinal vein occlusion.
Following this diagnosis, Khan was transferred to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad, where a 20-minute procedure was conducted with his consent in an operation theater.
Contrary to earlier reports, Pakistan’s Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Tariq Fazal, stated that prison authorities were informed of Khan’s eyesight issues only on January 16, not since October. Specialized ophthalmologists performed the procedure on January 24, he added, emphasizing that the matter is strictly a medical concern, not a political one.
Fazal reassured reporters in Islamabad that every possible assistance would be provided for Khan’s health. Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, demanded unrestricted access to qualified specialists chosen by Khan and an end to any measures endangering his health while in custody.
The party, which faced suppression following Khan’s arrest in May 2023, led nationwide protests against the military and emerged as the largest party in the 2024 elections. However, it alleges electoral manipulation deprived it of additional seats needed to form a coalition government, a claim refuted by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his supporters.
