'15% eyesight remains': Imran Khan's son flags ex-PM's health in Pakistan jail

Kasim Khan, son of jailed former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan, has claimed that his father has suffered a severe loss of vision, alleging prolonged solitary confinement and medical neglect during his imprisonment.

 "We have been informed that my father, Imran Khan, has lost most of the vision in his right eye, with reports indicating only 15% eyesight remains. This is the direct consequence of 922 days of solitary confinement, medical neglect (denied blood tests) and the deliberate denial of proper treatment in jail," he wrote on X.

Khan has remained in solitary confinement at Adiala Jail since September 2023.

"The responsibility lies squarely with the regime in power, the Army Chief and the puppets enabling this cruelty. This physical deterioration is happening under their orders, their watch and their responsibility. They have manipulated and warped the justice system in order to keep my father in solitary confinement."

"My brother and I are still being denied visas to see our father as his health deteriorates. History will record this injustice. We urge human rights bodies, legal institutions and democratic nations to confront this persecution and ensure those responsible face consequences."

The remarks come amid concern over Khan's health and access to medical care.

Imran Khan is 'perturbed and disturbed'

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) counsel Advocate Salman Safdar, appointed amicus curiae by the Supreme Court, met Imran Khan at Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail on Tuesday and later submitted a seven-page report detailing the former prime minister's prison conditions.

According to a Dawn report, Safdar quoted Khan as saying that "despite the treatment administered (including an injection), he has been left with only 15pc vision in his right eye".

Khan told Safdar that "three to four months earlier, until October 2025, he had normal 6 x 6 vision in both eyes". He said he subsequently began experiencing persistent blurred and hazy vision, which he repeatedly reported to the then jail superintendent, but alleged that "no action was taken by the jail authorities".

"According to [Imran], he was diagnosed with a blood clot that caused severe damage, and despite the treatment administered (including an injection), he has been left with only 15% vision in his right eye," the report stated.

Safdar added that he "personally observed that the petitioner appeared visibly perturbed and deeply distressed by the loss of vision and the absence of timely and specialised medical intervention".

Khan's medical reports shared with family: Minister

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Friday that Khan's "detailed" medical reports had been shared with his family.

According to Dawn, the statement followed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) latest move to approach the Supreme Court, seeking the 73-year-old leader's medical records and visitation rights for his personal doctors and relatives.

Earlier, on January 29, Tarar had confirmed that Khan underwent a medical procedure for an eye ailment at a hospital and stated that he was currently in "good health."

Khan was reportedly taken from Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad for treatment. He has been serving a sentence following his conviction in the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case.

In a post on X on Friday, Tarar also noted that National Assembly Opposition Leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai had written to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif regarding Khan's medical check-up. The minister added that PTI leaders had similarly approached the apex court, pressing for transparency on Khan's health status and demanding greater access for his medical team and family.

Khan's health has remained a politically sensitive issue, with PTI repeatedly alleging inadequate care and the government maintaining that he is receiving appropriate medical attention.