Imran Khan 'loses vision' in one eye due to jail torture, alleges Salman Akram Raja
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Secretary-General Salman Akram Raja speaks to journalists outside Adiala jail in Rawalpindi on February 25, 2025. SCREENGRAB
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Salman Akram Raja on Wednesday said that jailed former prime minister Imran Khan was facing serious health risks in custody, claiming that, due to alleged torture in jail, he has "lost vision" in one of his eyes.
In February, it was revealed by a report prepared by Barrister Salman Safdar on the Supreme Court’s direction that Imran had informed officials that his right eye was functioning at only 15% capacity. Safdar submitted the report to a two-member bench. As a result, the SC ordered that Imran be granted access to his personal physicians in Adiala Jail. Later, a medical board examining Imran reported an improvement in his eyesight and did not recommend shifting him to a hospital.
Speaking to reporters outside the SC today, Raja stated that Imran had been in jail for nearly 1,000 days and that all judicial avenues appeared to be closed for the party. He further added that the party had exhausted all legal options, and now, taking to the streets was the only option left.
He said cases against Imran and Bushra Bibi, including the Toshakhana case, were fabricated and based on statements from government witnesses.
Raja said every prisoner was entitled to constitutional rights, but meetings with Imran and the signing of legal documents were being restricted despite court orders permitting such meetings.
عمران خان صاحب سے ملاقاتوں کے حوالے سے اکتوبر ۲۰۲۵ سے سپریم کورٹ میں اپیل دائر ہے۔ ایک بار بھی سنوائی نہیں ہوئی۔ pic.twitter.com/IqJ7AQoFoX
He said Imran and Bushra Bibi were facing serious "health risks in custody" and added that Imran’s sisters were also being denied meetings with him despite the seriousness of his condition.
PTI secretary general further said that petitions filed before the SC were not being heard, and added that restrictions currently imposed on prisoners were unprecedented.
Raja said Pakistan required political and economic stability, describing Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) as “bathed in blood” and stating that every province had been pushed into crisis.
Senior lawyer Hamid Khan said petitions were being filed in the SC seeking meetings and prison facilities for Imran and Bushra Bibi, adding that an appeal had remained pending for a year before being dismissed by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and questioned how legal documents could be signed if lawyers were denied access to their clients.
Read: Jail rejects daughter's plea to meet Bushra
In late January, Imran was first taken to the hospital for a minor eye procedure. Five days later, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said that doctors at PIMS had conducted an examination of his eyes and, after obtaining his written consent, carried out a minor medical procedure that lasted around 20 minutes.
Amid controversy surrounding the eye treatment, PIMS confirmed that Imran was administered an anti-VEGF intra-vitreal injection to treat right central retinal vein occlusion.
In March, another medical check-up was conducted at Adiala, after which PIMS stated that Imran had shown significant improvement in his vision following his second dose of an intravitreal anti-VEGF injection. The third dose was subsequently administered on March 23.
Imran's wife, Bushra Bibi, also underwent a medical examination at Adiala in March after complaining of pain in her right eye. She was reportedly examined by Dr Muhammad Arif Khan, head of the ophthalmology department at PIMS. The medical report stated that she had been experiencing blurred vision and black spots in her right eye; she also reported seeing flashes in the dark and said she was suffering from headaches.
The examination diagnosed Bushra Bibi with posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) in her right eye. The report also identified myopia and astigmatism. After the diagnosis, Bushra Bibi was prescribed eye drops and medication, along with the use of glasses. She was reportedly recommended a follow-up medical check-up after four weeks.
The former first lady then underwent eye surgery on the evening of April 16.
Imran and Bushra Bibi remain incarcerated in Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail. They were sentenced on December 20, 2025, to 17 years in prison in the Toshakhana-II case, which pertains to allegations that the couple unlawfully retained a Bulgari jewellery set gifted by the Saudi crown prince during an official visit to Saudi Arabia.
Imran has been in custody since August 2023, serving a sentence in a £190 million corruption case. He also faces pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act in connection with protests on May 9, 2023.