Imran Khan's vision almost normal ahead of Supreme Court treatment plea

Pakistan's Supreme Court was told Imran Khan's vision is almost normal after treatment in jail. The medical update could undercut his plea for care at a private hospital.Stock photo used for illustrationPakistan's Supreme Court was told on Monday that jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's eye condition has improved significantly and that his vision is "almost normal", according to a report filed by prison authorities.The update came a day before the court was scheduled to hear Khan's plea seeking treatment at Islamabad's Shifa International, a leading private medical facility. A three-member bench headed by Justice Shahid Wahid, and comprising Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim, is set to take up the petition on August 18.Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, has been in jail since August 2023. After his eye ailment, right central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO), came to light in late January, he was taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad several times for treatment.In a report submitted to the apex court, Rawalpindi's Adiala jail authorities said the 73-year-old leader had been treated properly since the condition surfaced. It said he was treated at PIMS by the hospital's head of ophthalmology, Dr Muhammad Arif Khan, and by Dr Nadeem Qureshi, a vitreo-retinal surgeon at Alshifa Trust Eye Hospital in Rawalpindi. "Consequently, significant improvement of his eye has been noticed, and his vision returned to almost normal," the report said. The report added that the medical intervention and the improvement in Khan's vision showed that the jail administration had made all-out efforts to provide him with the best healthcare facilities. It said medical officers visited Khan three times a day to check his meals and record his vitals, including blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen saturation, and that his medical record had been maintained since his imprisonment.It also said several medical consultants and specialists from different medical facilities had visited Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, for check-ups, and that both were being provided adequate healthcare facilities. "Their health and well-being are and have been of paramount importance to the jail administration," the report said. It further said meetings between Khan and Bibi, who is also jailed in the same facility, were held every Tuesday and that 84 such meetings had been recorded so far. The jail authorities asked the Supreme Court to dispose of Khan's plea, saying it was devoid of merit. Khan has been incarcerated since August 5, 2023, when he was arrested from his residence in Lahore after being convicted in a corruption case.With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Aug 17, 2026 21:12 IST