Pakistan govt to move Imran Khan to hospital soon for eye treatment: Report

Pakistan’s government will soon move former premier Imran Khan to a hospital for eye treatment amid allegations that his vision has deteriorated to just 15% because of a lack of medical care and poor living conditions in jail, sources told CNN-News18.

Sources said that the Shehbaz Sharif government is likely to shift Imran to a hospital in the coming days.

The development has come after the Supreme Court issued directions to the authorities in response to petitions from Imran’s family.

Lately, Imran’s family has alleged that his vision has fallen to just 15 per cent and the authorities are neither allowing family members to meet him nor providing him adequate medical care. Based on the family’s petition, the Supreme Court ordered the authorities to provide Khan with a thorough medical assessment by a panel of doctors and allow him to talk to his sons over the phone.

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Imran has been in jail for more than two years and has more than 100 cases against him. He fell out of favour with the all-powerful military midway in his term. After ouster in a no-confidence vote in 2022. He and his Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) have since been subjected to an intense crackdown from authorities.

In India, former cricketers like Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar have written to the Pakistani government to seek medical care for Khan.

Imran to eye treatment as family remains suspicious

The authorities are considering moving Imran to Al-Shifa Eye Trust Hospital, Rawalpindi, one of the country’s top eyecare hospitals, sources told CNN-News 18.

Sources said that Khan is due for another dose of the eye medication Eylea between February 21 and February 26.

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Sources stressed that the final decision would depend on consultation between prison authorities and his medical team.

Imran’s family and staffers have, however, remained suspicious, and their statements have contradicted those of the government.

Imran’s lawyer, Salman Safdar, said he began experiencing “persistent blurred and hazy vision” in October but Rana Sanaullah, a special assistant to Shehbaz, said Imran first reported the problem in early January and that doctors were examining him every two days. He rejected allegations of lack of medical care.

Since October, Imran has “appeared visibly perturbed and deeply distressed by the loss of vision and the absence of timely and specialised medical intervention,” Safdar said.

In the hospital, Imran could be allowed to meet select key aides and his wife, Bushra Bibi, who is also facing several cases.

In addition to the eye injections, the authorities could also conduct a detailed health examination in jail, including MRI scans, CT scans, X-rays, cardiac assessments, and extensive blood tests, according to resources.

They said that the government wants these tests done to douse speculation around his health and questions about his treatment in jail.