Concerns over the health and safety of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan have reached a fever pitch in recent days, with mounting scrutiny from political leaders, his family, international human rights advocates, and the country’s Supreme Court. The 73-year-old, who has been incarcerated at Central Jail Rawalpindi (commonly known as Adiala Jail) since August 2023, is at the center of a growing controversy over allegations of deteriorating eyesight, denial of independent medical care, and threats to his life.
According to reports cited by the Human Rights Research Council (HRRC), Khan’s vision problems began with a diagnosis of right central retinal vein occlusion, a condition that can cause severe vision loss. Medical documents from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) confirmed his diagnosis and detailed that he had received anti-VEGF injections—an advanced treatment for such ocular conditions. An initial court filing indicated that Khan had lost up to 85 percent of the vision in his right eye. However, a subsequent medical board reported some improvement and did not recommend transferring him to a hospital outside prison.
Despite these official assurances, Khan’s family and his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), have been vocal in their criticism of the authorities’ handling of his medical needs. They assert that Khan has been held in solitary confinement for extended periods and denied regular access to independent specialist doctors of his choosing. His sisters, Aleema and Noreen Khanum, described the situation as “extremely concerning and unacceptable,” rejecting medical examinations conducted without the presence of personal physicians or family representatives.
In a particularly alarming development, Aleema Khan went public with claims that Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir posed a direct threat to her brother’s life. She recounted, “You know, Asim Munir is going to kill me in jail,” quoting Imran Khan’s own words during a recent visit, as reported by Geo News. The family had initially hesitated to publicize these allegations due to their gravity but ultimately felt compelled to do so as concerns about Khan’s health and safety mounted. Aleema further questioned how her brother, previously “perfectly healthy,” could suddenly develop such serious medical issues while in custody. She cited private suggestions from some doctors that “slow poisoning” could not be ruled out, though she acknowledged there is no medical documentation to substantiate this suspicion.
The controversy has drawn international attention as well. On February 26, 2026, a coalition of over 40 public intellectuals, academics, elected officials, jurists, journalists, and faith leaders from around the world issued a humanitarian appeal for Khan’s immediate release and urgent access to his family and personal physicians. The signatories, as reported by Pakistan Today and MNTV, cited credible reports of significant ocular damage allegedly linked to delays in medical treatment during Khan’s detention. Their appeal emphasized the need for immediate access to independent specialist doctors, full transparency regarding his medical condition, and strict adherence to both domestic legal protections and internationally recognized standards for the treatment of detainees.
The coalition’s statement took pains to stress that their initiative was humanitarian, not political. “International legal norms and human rights principles require that all detainees, regardless of political affiliation, be treated with dignity, afforded due process, and provided adequate medical care,” the statement read. Organizers are now preparing to form an international humanitarian delegation to meet with Pakistani authorities, aiming to encourage medical transparency and compliance with established rights standards.
Domestically, the issue has become a rallying point for Khan’s supporters and the broader political opposition. PTI leaders, including Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Yasmin Rashid, Ijaz Chaudhry, Omar Sarfraz Cheema, and Mahmood-ur-Rashid, wrote a letter to Chief Justice Yahya Afridi of Pakistan, urging him to intervene and ensure Khan’s access to his personal doctor, legal counsel, and family members as guaranteed by law. The letter, reported by Geo News and SocialNews.XYZ, compared Khan’s treatment with that of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who, when facing health issues in 2019, was granted hospital care, allowed his personal physician to attend all medical board meetings, and ultimately permitted to travel abroad for treatment. The PTI leaders alleged that the current government’s “cloak-and-dagger” conduct was intentionally creating hurdles to maintain political control over Khan’s fate.
Legal avenues are being pursued as well. On February 26, 2026, PTI filed a petition in Pakistan’s Supreme Court requesting that Khan be allowed treatment at a hospital of his choice and be permitted to consult his personal physicians. The application specifically asked for Khan to be taken to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad for proper treatment by a retina specialist. The Supreme Court responded by ordering the formation of a medical team, directing that Khan’s eye examination be completed within a set timeframe, and allowing him to speak with his children. The Court also sought the government’s official position on Khan’s health care, signaling a willingness to scrutinize the authorities’ actions more closely.
Meanwhile, government officials have rejected allegations of negligence, insisting that Khan is receiving appropriate care. They point to the medical board’s findings and the recent administration of a second anti-VEGF intravitreal injection at PIMS as evidence of ongoing treatment. However, Khan’s family and supporters remain unconvinced, arguing that the lack of independent oversight and the exclusion of personal physicians from the process undermine both transparency and trust.
International human rights organizations, including the HRRC, have weighed in as well, warning that the reported denial of timely and independent medical access to Khan threatens to violate his fundamental human rights and the state’s duty of care. The HRRC has urged Pakistani authorities to ensure full compliance with constitutional and international human rights standards, stressing that transparency and independent medical treatment are non-negotiable obligations.
The matter has also sparked street protests by Khan’s supporters, who frame the issue as a broader battle for constitutional rights and human dignity. Demonstrations in Karachi and other cities have underscored the depth of public concern and the political stakes involved. PTI’s leadership contends that Khan’s legal troubles and alleged mistreatment are part of a campaign of political vendetta, pointing to his removal from office in 2022 through a parliamentary no-confidence vote and his subsequent conviction in multiple cases, which he maintains are politically motivated.
As the Supreme Court continues to monitor the situation and international pressure mounts, the fate of Imran Khan’s health and his access to independent medical care remain unresolved. The case has become a litmus test for Pakistan’s commitment to the rule of law, human rights, and the humane treatment of detainees—values that are being watched closely both at home and abroad.
For now, the world waits to see whether the mounting calls for transparency and justice will be met with meaningful action, or whether Imran Khan’s plight will remain a flashpoint in Pakistan’s ongoing political drama.