Pakistan’s Supreme Court has intervened to ensure medical care for imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has reportedly experienced an 85% loss of vision in his right eye. The court has instructed authorities to establish a medical team to assess and treat Khan, who leads the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, as per a Dawn report. Concerns arose as Khan’s complaints of deteriorating eyesight had not been adequately addressed.
The court has appointed lawyer Salman Safdar as amicus curiae and tasked him with evaluating Khan’s health condition by visiting him in jail. Khan had been voicing concerns about his worsening vision since October, potentially due to a blood clot, as per reports presented to the court. Despite his complaints, he was reportedly only provided with eye drops for over three months, which did not alleviate his condition.
Requests for his personal doctors to examine him were denied, and routine blood tests were not conducted, leading to a sudden and almost complete loss of vision in one eye. Medical experts warn that delayed diagnosis and treatment in such cases can result in permanent harm. Providing adequate medical care to prisoners is the state’s responsibility, emphasized legal experts, including the attorney general, who acknowledged the government’s duty to ensure proper healthcare for inmates.
The case has garnered public attention due to Khan’s prominent status as a former prime minister and the leader of a significant political party. Past instances in Pakistan have seen other leaders like Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif hospitalized during their imprisonment and allowed to seek medical treatment abroad on humanitarian grounds. Observers advocate for similar standards to be applied in Khan’s case, emphasizing his right to essential medical facilities and the freedom to consult preferred doctors.
Legal analysts stress that political affiliations should not impede a prisoner’s access to healthcare, asserting that every inmate is entitled to timely and sufficient medical treatment under the law.
