Former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan was taken from Adiala jail in Rawalpindi to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad during the night between Nov 10 and 11 for a check-up and follow-up eye treatment, a hospital official said on Wednesday. Doctors gave him an intravitreal anti-VEGF injection, a treatment delivered into the eye and used for certain retinal conditions. He was discharged at around 2:30am with instructions for further care and follow-up.
Medical checks and the eye condition
Before the procedure, the official said, Imran underwent a medical examination that included an ocular, or eye, assessment. His vital parameters were normal, and the official said he remained “clinically stable before, during and after the procedure.” The ophthalmology team gave the injection only after obtaining informed consent and following standard monitoring and clinical protocols. The official did not give details of the follow-up plan.
The eye ailment is right central retinal vein occlusion, a blockage in a vein that drains blood from the retina. It came to light in late January, and he has been taken to hospital several times since. The last reported PIMS visit for the condition was in June. Imran has been in prison since August 2023, and members of his party have voiced outcry over his health during his sentence.
Supreme Court orders and the dispute over transfer
His health has also been before the Supreme Court. An annexure to a jail administration report said a PIMS doctor examined him on Aug 1 and recorded uncontrolled, fluctuating blood pressure, palpitations, headache and restlessness. A PIMS medical board examined him on Aug 10 and recommended a one-hour daily walk, access to newspapers, magazines, television and books, and more frequent contact with his family.
On Aug 18, the Supreme Court directed the government to shift him to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad. The government instead took him to PIMS and later transported him back to prison. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar blamed the security situation created by PTI workers on the way to and outside the hospital. The PTI denies those allegations and accuses the government of deliberately flouting the court’s orders, so the two accounts remain opposed.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- Late January: right central retinal vein occlusion comes to light.
- June: last reported PIMS visit for the eye ailment.
- Aug 1: a PIMS doctor examines Imran and records blood pressure and palpitation complaints.
- Aug 10: a PIMS medical board recommends a daily walk and wider access to newspapers, television and books.
- Aug 18: the Supreme Court directs the government to shift him to Shifa International Hospital.
- Night of Nov 10-11: he is taken to PIMS for an eye injection and discharged around 2:30am.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Imran Khan ko raat ke waqt Adiala jail se PIMS Islamabad le jaya gaya, jahan unki aankh ka follow-up ilaaj hua. Doctors ne aankh mein injection diya aur unhein taqreeban 2:30 baje discharge kar diya gaya, aur hospital ke official ke mutabiq woh stable thay. Is ka aam shehri par direct asar yeh hai ke qaidiyon ki sehat aur hospital transfer ke faislon par adalat aur hukumat ke darmiyan ikhtilaaf ho sakta hai. Aage ka ilaaj hospital ki hidayat ke mutabiq hoga.
