Former Pakistani PM Imran Khan Loses 85% Vision in his Right Eye

Former Prime Minister Imran Khan has reportedly lost about 85 % of the vision in his right eye while incarcerated, prompting his legal team and Pakistan’s Supreme Court to demand urgent medical evaluation and treatment.

According to a report submitted to the Supreme Court on Friday, Khan’s lawyer Salman Safdar told judges that the 73-year-old politician, who has been jailed since August 2023 on corruption and other convictions, now retains only about 15 % eyesight in his right eye. He began experiencing blurred and hazy vision in late 2025, Safdar said, and authorities allegedly failed to take timely action, allowing the condition to worsen.

The lawyer’s statement, which followed a two-hour meeting with Khan in Adiala Jail, said the former cricket star and opposition leader reported the deteriorating sight to prison officials for months but was largely ignored before a brief hospital visit this month. His Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has called for full and transparent implementation of the Supreme Court’s orders, including access to specialists of his choice.

In response, the Supreme Court has ordered a medical board be formed to examine Khan’s right eye, giving authorities until February 16 to complete the assessment and ensure that he can consult with his personal physician. The court also urged that Khan be allowed to communicate with his children as part of its directives on his care.

Khan’s son, Kasim Khan, took to the social media platform X to criticize the handling of his father’s condition. He wrote that the severe vision loss was a “direct consequence” of prolonged solitary confinement and medical neglect, alleging that vital tests, including blood work, were denied and proper treatment was delayed or withheld. Kasim placed responsibility squarely on the authorities overseeing his father’s detention.

The Supreme Court’s intervention follows mounting concerns over Khan’s health amid broader political tensions in Pakistan. While government officials have previously described a brief eye procedure and said Khan was in good health, his family and PTI leaders insist they were not adequately informed about the treatment, underscoring deep mistrust over transparency and care standards.

The new developments add to Khan’s long-running legal and political struggles since his ouster as prime minister in 2022 and subsequent arrest. Despite his imprisonment, the PTI remains a significant force in national politics, although it accuses rivals and state institutions of sidelining the party through controversial legal tactics and alleged interference.