ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s sister told Al Jazeera that his family has rejected claims by a government committee that the cricketer-turned-politician had regained his sight since last week’s court report found he had lost most of his sight in one eye.
A government-appointed medical panel that examined the imprisoned former leader reported that his vision had significantly improved after weeks of controversy over his failing eyesight. A medical report obtained by Al Jazeera claims that Mr Khan’s vision in his right eye has improved from 6/36 to 6/9. His left eye remains 6/6 vision due to the use of glasses.
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In ophthalmology terminology, a visual acuity of 6/6 means that a person has good vision. A measurement of 6/9 means that a person with normal vision can see at 6 meters (20 feet) what a person with normal vision would see at 9 meters (30 feet).
The assessment was carried out on Sunday by a two-member committee comprising Dr. Nadeem Qureshi and Dr. Muhammad Arif Khan. Experts carried out a detailed inspection at Rawalpindi’s Adiala prison, where the 73-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party founder has been imprisoned since August 2023.
But Mr Khan’s family said they “do not trust” authorities.
Khan’s sister, Aleema Khan, said the government’s refusal to allow Khan’s doctor and family representatives to be present for testing and treatment was “deeply disturbing and unacceptable.”
“We categorically reject the government’s claims regarding his examination, treatment and medical condition unless both his doctor and family representative are physically present,” Aleema told Al Jazeera.
Aasim Yusuf, chief medical officer of Imran Khan’s Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital and one of Khan’s doctors, said in a video message that he had a 40-minute meeting with two doctors who examined Khan on February 15.
In a video shared by PTI on social media, Yusuf said that visiting doctors briefed him on the treatment and future care plan, adding that according to the latest evaluation, “Mr. Khan has shown significant improvement as a result of treatment and his eyesight has improved significantly as well.”
“I would be very happy if we could confirm that this is the case. Unfortunately, I have not met him in person, been able to take part in his care or talk to him, so I cannot confirm or deny the truth of what we have been told,” Yusuf said.
controversial diagnosis
The tests followed reports last month that authorities took Khan to a government facility for medical treatment in the middle of the night without informing his family. Following the protests, Pakistan’s Supreme Court appointed lawyer Salman Safdar as a barrister to meet Mr. Khan and assess his condition.
In a seven-page report submitted last week, Mr Safdar painted an alarming picture. He wrote that although Khan had suffered rapid and significant vision loss over the past three months and had repeatedly complained of persistent blurred or blurred vision, “prison authorities took no action to address these complaints.”
Mr Safdar was quoted as saying that Mr Khan had “only 15 per cent vision left” in his right eye.
PTI General Secretary Salman Akram Raja told reporters in Islamabad on Monday that two doctors, one of whom was recommended after consultation with Yusuf, confirmed that Khan’s eyesight had improved.
“Two doctors who met him in prison said Khan confirmed to them that he had been unable to see the clock on the wall for several weeks. [but] Not only can you see it, but you can also see the hands of the clock. According to the doctors, this was an incredible improvement in his vision,” said Mr. Raja.
However, Aleema insisted that the family cannot accept any medical report until Khan’s doctor personally examines him. She renewed her request to transfer him to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad.
She accused the government of repeatedly misleading the family about Mr. Khan’s health.
“Following our protest and Salman Safdar’s report, we were told that he would be transferred to Shifa International Hospital. [the] His doctor and family were there, but suddenly they [the government] I changed my plans. How can I suddenly get rejected? ” she asked.
Aleema said authorities asked the family to provide the names of doctors and relatives who could accompany Khan, but both requests were rejected.
“There were many phone calls. We gave the names of his doctors, including Dr Aasim. The other name was his sister Uzma Khan, representing the family. But the response from the government was that no sister would be allowed to meet him,” she claimed.
She said her brother had no underlying health conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure and described him as a political prisoner.
“Our hearts are broken and we are very frustrated. This is intentional. When Salman Safdar went there and came back, he told us the story and we cried when we heard about Khan’s current situation. This is not just criminal negligence, this is completely criminal and intentional,” she said.
Conflicts over medical access
The PTI and its allies, who have been holding a sit-in outside parliament, have vowed to continue their protests until their demands, including access to Khan and transfer to Shifa International Hospital, are met.
Sheikh Waqas Akram, the party’s central intelligence chief, said the demands were straightforward and focused on ensuring “professional treatment” for Khan.
“How can we trust him when he refuses to see his family and the doctors they recommend, or breaks their promises? We don’t even know what they did to him. We believe the government is definitely hiding something,” he told Al Jazeera.
Aleema said she would hold a press conference outside Adiala Prison on Tuesday, adding that the family was not seeking any concessions from the authorities other than access to medical care.
“Imran’s sons have been trying to visit Pakistan since last year and have applied multiple times, but their visas have not been processed. They are stuck with neither refusal nor approval,” he said, referring to Khan’s two sons, Qasim and Suleman, who are British nationals.
The sons were born during Khan’s first marriage to Jemima Goldsmith. The couple divorced in 2004 after nine years of marriage. Both sons are based in London.
Government rejects claims of negligence
Meanwhile, the government has defended the work of the medical commission. Justice Minister Azam Nazir Tarar said the treatment provided to Mr Khan led to improvement and a team of experts expressed satisfaction with Mr Khan’s progress.
Tarar said at a public event on Monday that opposition leaders and Khan’s doctor had been briefed.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry also said that inspections inside the prison were carried out “in accordance with government instructions and with full transparency.”
“The government has provided all necessary equipment at the scene to avoid any suspicion of negligence,” Chaudhry wrote on social media, adding that PTI chairman Gohar Ali Khan was kept informed in Khan’s absence.
Imran Khan, a former Pakistan cricket captain who led Pakistan to victory in the 1992 World Cup, became prime minister in 2018.
He was removed from office in a parliamentary vote of no confidence in 2022, which he said was orchestrated by the military in collusion with the US government and political opponents. Both the military and the US deny the allegations.
Since his ouster, Khan has criticized Field Marshal Asim Munir’s legal and political problems and repeatedly called on his supporters to protest.
In June 2024, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded that Khan’s detention had “no legal basis and appears to have been intended to disqualify him from running for office.” [for] political office.”
