A GROUP OF FORMER international cricket captains has appealed to the Pakistan government to guarantee proper medical treatment for former Pakistan Prime Minister and World Cup-winning skipper Imran Khan, citing rising concern over his health while in custody.
In a joint statement released on 17 February, the signatories said they were troubled by reports of a significant deterioration in Khan’s eyesight during his incarceration, as well as by the conditions under which he has been held over the past two and a half years. Those backing the appeal include Michael Atherton, Allan Border, Michael Brearley, Greg Chappell, Ian Chappell, Belinda Clark, Sunil Gavaskar, David Gower, Kim Hughes, Nasser Hussain, Clive Lloyd, Kapil Dev, Stephen Waugh and John Wright.
The appeal follows Khan’s medical examination on Sunday after he reportedly complained of severe vision loss in his right eye, even as his party rejected the inspection.
Pakistan’s Supreme Court had directed authorities to conduct a comprehensive medical check-up of the 73-year-old before 16 February. While officials had indicated he might be moved to a hospital, doctors were instead sent to Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.
A lawyer from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf met Khan on the Supreme Court’s instructions to review his living conditions. According to the lawyer’s report, Khan claimed he had lost around 85% of the vision in his right eye.
Last month, Khan was taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad, where a procedure was carried out on his eye. PTI said the examination was unacceptable without the presence of his family, personal doctors and party representatives.
Khan served as Pakistan’s Prime Minister from 2018 to 2022. He was jailed in August 2023 and has since faced more than 100 cases, ranging from allegations of leaking state secrets to the sale of state gifts, charges he has consistently described as politically motivated.
