OMM Newsroom
Pakistan’s jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan returned to prison after receiving further treatment for an eye condition in the early hours of Wednesday, amid concerns about his health, Anadolu Agency reported.
Khan, 74, is serving a 14-year sentence in a corruption case in the northeastern garrison city of Rawalpindi. A statement from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) said he was taken to the hospital for tests and follow-up treatment.
An ophthalmology team administered an intravitreal anti-VEGF injection. Khan has received a series of such injections in his right eye to treat central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO), diagnosed after he reported reduced vision.
“During his stay at PIMS, he remained vitally stable before, during, and after the procedure,” the hospital statement said. It added that he was discharged at approximately 2.30 am with instructions for further care and follow-up.
Khan stayed at PIMS for around 40 to 50 minutes before being transferred back to jail, after doctors found his condition satisfactory. The statement said his vital signs were normal, he was clinically stable and his general physical examination was unremarkable. He underwent a medical examination, including an ocular assessment, before the procedure and received the injection after informed consent and standard monitoring and precautionary protocols.
Khan served as prime minister from 2018 to 2022. His healthcare and access to family members and personal doctors have been a major point of dispute between his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and the government in recent months.
The PTI questioned the transparency of the latest procedure and raised further concerns about Khan’s health and the quality of care provided in custody. He faces a number of cases, including corruption and terrorism charges, which he has described as “sham” and politically motivated.
“The state bears full responsibility for his safety and well-being. His family, personal doctors and legal team must be given immediate and unrestricted access,” the party said in a statement.
Khan has been imprisoned since August 2023.
