Imran Khan’s sister rejects Pakistan government’s claim that the former prime minister’s vision was fined and jailed | Imran Khan News

Islamabad, Pakistan – The sister of former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan told Al Jazeera the family had rejected a government council’s claims that the cricketer-turned-politician’s eyesight had improved since a court report last week said he had lost most of the sight in one eye.

A government-appointed medical board that examined the jailed former leader reported a significant improvement in his eyesight after weeks of controversy over his deteriorating vision. His medical report, seen by Al Jazeera, claims that Khan’s vision in his right eye improved from 6/36 to 6/9. His left eye remains at 6/6 vision with the use of glasses.

In ophthalmic terms, 6/6 vision means the person’s eyesight is good. A 6/9 reading means that the person can see at 6 meters (20 feet) what someone with normal vision sees at 9 meters (30 feet).

The assessment was conducted on Sunday by a two-member board comprising doctors Nadeem Qureshi and Muhammad Arif Khan. The specialists conducted a detailed investigation in the Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, where the 73-year-old founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has been imprisoned since August 2023.

But Khan’s family said they had “no confidence” in the authorities.

His sister, Aleema Khan, described it as “extremely troubling and unacceptable” that the government resisted allowing Khan’s personal doctor and a family representative to be present during the examination and treatment.

“Without the physical presence of both his personal doctor and family representative, we categorically reject any claims made by the government regarding his examination, treatment or medical condition,” Aleema told Al Jazeera.

Aasim Yusuf, chief medical officer of the Imran Khan-founded Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital and one of Khan’s staff doctors, said in a video message that he had a 40-minute conversation with the two doctors who examined Khan on February 15.

In the video, which was shared by the PTI on social media, Yusuf said the visiting doctors briefed him about the treatment and future care plan, adding that according to their latest assessment, “Khan has shown significant improvement as a result of treatment and his vision has also improved significantly.”

“I would be extremely happy if I could confirm that this was the case. Unfortunately, not having seen him myself and not being able to participate in his care or speak to him, I cannot confirm or deny the truth of what we have been told,” Yusuf said.

Disputed diagnosis

The latest investigation comes after reports last month that authorities took Khan to a government facility late at night for a medical procedure without informing his family. After the outcry, Pakistan’s Supreme Court appointed Barrister Salman Safdar as amicus curiae to meet Khan and assess his condition.

in a seven page report Safdar, filed last week, painted a worrying picture. He wrote that Khan had suffered rapid and significant vision loss over the past three months and that despite repeated complaints of persistently disturbed and blurred vision, “no steps have been taken by the prison authorities to address these complaints.”

Safdar quoted Khan as saying that “only 15 percent” vision remained in his right eye.

PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja told reporters in Islamabad on Monday that the two doctors, one of whom was recommended after consultations with Yusuf, confirmed that Khan’s vision had improved.

“The two doctors who jailed him said that Khan confirmed to them that for several weeks he could not see the clock on the wall, (but) now can not only see it, but also the clock hands. According to doctors, it was an incredible improvement in his vision,” said Raja.

However, Aleema insisted that the family could not accept any medical report until Khan’s doctor examined him personally. She renewed the demand that he be transferred to the Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad.

She accused the government of repeatedly misleading the family about Khan’s health.

“After our protest and Salman Safdar’s report, we were told that he would be taken to Shifa International Hospital, with (the) presence of his doctor as well as a family member, but then, suddenly, they (the government) changed the plan. How can we be denied suddenly?” she asked.

Aleema said the authorities asked the family to provide the names of doctors and family members who could accompany Khan, only to reject every suggestion.

“There were repeated phone calls to and fro. We gave them the names of their personal doctors, including Dr Aasim. Another name we gave was our sister, Uzma Khan, to represent the family. But the government’s response was that no sister will be allowed to meet him,” she claimed.

She added that her brother had no underlying medical conditions, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, and described him as a political prisoner.

“Our hearts are breaking, and we are so frustrated. This is deliberate. 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, it is completely criminal and deliberate,” she said.

Distance over medical access

The PTI and its allies, who are holding a sit-in foreign parliament, have vowed to continue their protest until their demands are met, including access to Khan and his transfer to Shifa International Hospital.

Sheikh Waqas Akram, the party’s central information secretary, said the demand was simple and focused on ensuring “specialized treatment” for Khan.

“When you deny access to the family, or the doctors recommended by the family, and when you break promises, how can we trust? We don’t even know what they did with him. We believe the government is definitely hiding something,” he told Al Jazeera.

Aleema said she would hold a news conference outside Adiala jail on Tuesday, adding that the family had not sought any concessions from authorities other than medical access.

“Imran’s sons have been trying to visit Pakistan since last year and have applied several times, but their visas have not been processed. It is in limbo, they are not getting a denial, nor are they getting an approval,” she said, referring to Kasim and Suleman, Khan’s two sons, who are citizens of the United Kingdom.

The boys were born during Khan’s first marriage to Jemima Goldsmith. The couple divorced in 2004 after nine years of marriage. Both sons are settled in London.

The government rejects negligence claims

Meanwhile, the government has defended the medical board’s work. Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said the treatment provided to Khan had led to improvement and that the specialist team expressed satisfaction with his progress.

Speaking at a public event on Monday, Tarar said opposition leaders and Khan’s personal doctors had been informed.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry also said the investigation in the prison was carried out “in accordance with government directives and with complete transparency”.

“The government has provided every necessary facility on the ground to ensure that no question of any negligence arises,” Chaudhry wrote on social media, adding that Gohar Ali Khan, the PTI chairman in Khan’s absence, has been kept informed.

Imran Khan, a former Pakistan cricket captain who led Pakistan to its 1992 World Cup victory, became Prime Minister in 2018.

He was removed in 2022 by a parliamentary no-confidence vote, which he says was orchestrated by the military in collusion with Washington and his political opponents. Both the military and the United States have denied the allegations.

Since his ouster, Khan has blamed Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir for his legal and political problems and has repeatedly urged supporters to protest.

In June 2024, a United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded that Khan’s detention “had no legal basis and appeared to be intended to disqualify him from holding political office.”