Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister Imran Khan underwent a detailed medical examination inside Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail on Sunday, amid renewed concerns raised by his family and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) over his health and access to independent medical care. A special medical team comprising doctors and paramedical staff from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and Shifa Eye Hospital visited the high-security prison to examine the 73-year-old PTI founder. The team was led by senior PIMS physician Dr Arif Khan and conducted the assessment inside the jail hospital.
Doctors examined Khan’s eyesight, blood pressure and cholesterol levels as part of a comprehensive health evaluation. The medical team left the prison after completing the examination, though the detailed findings were not made public. The examination assumes significance because Khan has been receiving treatment for an eye condition. His health has remained the subject of repeated legal and political debate, with PTI and his family alleging that he has not received adequate medical care while in custody. Pakistani authorities have consistently rejected those allegations, maintaining that he receives regular medical attention in prison.
The latest check-up comes weeks after Pakistan’s Supreme Court directed authorities to transfer Khan to Islamabad’s Shifa International Hospital for treatment by a multidisciplinary medical board. Instead, authorities took him to the government-run PIMS hospital, citing security concerns, before returning him to Adiala Jail. PTI subsequently challenged the move, arguing that the court’s direction to shift Khan to a private hospital had not been followed. The legal dispute over his treatment remains unresolved, even as prison authorities continue to arrange periodic medical examinations.
Khan’s relatives have repeatedly expressed concern over his eyesight and overall health. His sister, Dr Uzma Khan, has questioned the adequacy of previous medical assessments, while his sons, Kasim and Sulaiman, have alleged that he has been denied proper medical care and regular family access. The Pakistan government has denied those claims, saying the former prime minister has access to medical facilities and receives examinations whenever required.
Imran Khan has been imprisoned since August 2023 in connection with multiple cases filed after his removal from office. He and PTI maintain that the prosecutions are politically motivated, an allegation rejected by the Pakistani government.
The fresh medical examination also comes ahead of PTI’s planned march towards Islamabad later this month, with the party demanding Khan’s release and restoration of constitutional democracy.