‘Intervention is necessary’: Pak SC on Imran Khan’s ‘vision loss’; allows ex-PM to speak with his sons

The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday directed authorities to constitute a medical board to assess the health of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan after reports surfaced about a loss of vision in one of his eyes.Also Read | ‘Grave danger’: PTI says jailed Pakistan ex-PM Imran Khan in danger of losing vision; seeks shift to hospitalA bench comprising Chief Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan also instructed officials to facilitate communication between Khan and his two sons, who live in the United Kingdom with his former wife, British producer and screenwriter Jemima Goldsmith.“The issue of Imran’s health is most important. Intervention is necessary. His phone calls with his son are also important,” Chief Justice Afridi said during the hearing.The order came after the bench resumed hearing a case about the jail conditions of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder-president and ordered a detailed medical check-up before February 16. During the hearing, Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan said it was the state’s responsibility to provide the former prime minister with medical care.The order also came two days after the court asked PTI leader and lawyer Salman Safdar to meet Khan at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, where the cricketer-turned-politician has been held since August 5, 2023, following his conviction in a corruption case.Safdar later submitted his report to the court after meeting Khan. It was the first meeting with the jailed leader since December 2, when his sister, Uzma Khan, was allowed to see him for 20 minutes.Meanwhile, Dawn newspaper, citing the report, noted that it detailed Safdar’s meeting with Khan, the condition of his cell, the facilities provided to him, a description of his living area and the process the lawyer followed to reach the jail.In the report, Safdar quoted Khan as stating that despite receiving treatment, including an injection, he has only 15% vision left in his right eye.Khan reportedly told Safdar that until October 2025, he had normal vision in both eyes. He later began experiencing constant blurred and hazy vision, which he repeatedly reported to the then jail superintendent, but no action was taken.The report added that Khan eventually suffered a sudden and complete loss of vision in his right eye. An eye specialist from Pims Hospital, Dr Muhammad Arif, was then called to examine him.He was diagnosed with a blood clot that caused serious damage. Despite treatment, including an injection, his vision in the right eye remains at only 15 per cent.A day earlier, Safdar denied making any statement about Khan’s health on Tuesday, clarifying that anything attributed to him on the matter had been misrepresented or misreported.However, on the day he met Khan, Safdar told reporters that the jailed leader was “fine and healthy.”