Court orders access to doctors, calls to children; Emphasizes equal care for all prisoners.
Imran Khan. PHOTO: PIXABAY
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is imprisoned in Adiala Jail, has informed officials that his right eye is now functioning at only 15 percent of its capacity after he underwent a medical procedure at Islamabad’s PIMS hospital earlier this month.
This is revealed in a report prepared by lawyer Salman Safdar on the leadership of the Supreme Court. Safdar on Tuesday submitted the report to a two-member bench comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi and Justice Shahid Bilal Hasan. As a result, the Supreme Court on Thursday ordered that Imran Khan be granted access to his personal doctors in Adiala Jail and be allowed telephone contact with his sons, Kasim and Sulaiman.
The PTI founder is currently in state custody, the chief justice said, adding that all prisoners, including Khan, should be provided with the same medical facilities.
“We will not at all say that the PTI founder should be given preferential facilities compared to other prisoners,” the chief justice said. “Everyone should be treated equally,” CJP Afridi added.
Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan said they are ready to provide access to expert ophthalmic specialists.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed Salman Safdar to visit Adiala jail and submit a detailed report on the living conditions and facilities available to Khan, who has been detained there for the last two years and four months. A copy of the report, available with The express PAkGazetteoffers, for the first time in his own words, an account of Khan’s life in custody.
The meeting between Safdar, designated friend of the court, and Khan lasted two hours. According to the report, Khan, known as the “petitioner,” said he has been “under solitary confinement for approximately two years and four months” since his transfer from Attock District Jail in October 2023.
Read: SC orders access to personal doctors, phone calls for Imran Khan in Adiala jail
During the meeting, Khan repeatedly highlighted the “rapid and substantial loss of vision over the previous three months while he was alive and detained under the care and custody of Adiala Jail Superintendent Abdul Ghafoor Anjum.” He told Safdar that his concerns about his eyes “were not taken seriously nor addressed by prison authorities.”
Khan said that until October 2025 his vision was “6×6”, but then it started to blur. His right eye gradually worsened, reducing his overall vision. This prompted an examination by ophthalmologist Dr Muhammad Arif at PIMS Hospital, where he was told he had a blood clot. The report noted that Khan appeared visibly concerned about the deterioration of his right eye. “Throughout the meeting, the petitioner’s eyes were watery and he repeatedly used a handkerchief to wipe them, reflecting physical discomfort,” he added.
The report also details other health concerns. Khan said he had not had a dental check-up for two years and, despite being 73, had not had regular blood tests. He said his personal doctors, Dr Faisal Sultan and Dr Asim Yusuf, were previously allowed access but were later revoked. For almost three months, Khan said the only treatment he received was eye drops, “which produced no improvement and was followed by a significant deterioration of vision in his right eye.” He confirmed that his right eye now functions at only 15 percent of its capacity.
Khan described his daily routine and said he has breakfast at 9:45 am and spends an hour reading the Quran. For physical exercise, he has access to limited equipment, including an exercise machine and nine-kilogram weights. He remains in his cell, which contains a chair, a table, a bed and a hanger, from 5:30 p.m. to 10 a.m.
Your meals include coffee, porridge and dates for breakfast, and you can select your weekly menu, which you pay for personally. This includes two days of chicken, two days of meat and two days of pulses or chaat/sandwiches. Nestlé bottled water is provided. “At night, I don’t eat a full meal. I eat fruit, drink milk and have dates,” Khan said.
Read more: PTI-government ice may be melting behind closed doors
The report says the cell has adequate air and lighting, but knives, forks and utensils are not allowed. A jail attendant helps with laundry and general cleaning, including the bathroom. Khan reportedly expressed his satisfaction with these arrangements, stating, “These are essential arrangements and I am happy with them.” During the colder months, you have access to a small heater and fan, and hot water is available at all times.
Khan told Safdar that summer is “particularly difficult” due to the extreme heat and humidity, as well as the presence of mosquitoes and insects. Use mosquito repellents and have a cooler room to withstand the heat. Khan said he suffered food poisoning two or three times over the summer. About ten surveillance cameras are installed near his cell, including one outside the shower area, but none inside the room. “I have no objection to the cameras as they are for my protection,” he said.
The report also highlighted restrictions on family and legal access. Khan said he has not met with his lawyers for the past five months and that visits from his family have been limited. Since the change in jail superintendent, he has been allowed a 30-minute visit with his wife each week, on Tuesdays. In 2025, he spoke on the phone with his sons, Kasim and Sulaiman, only twice. He also has access to a 30-by-12-foot green area near his cell for sunlight exposure, a 32-inch television (currently non-functional), and about 100 books.
Safdar, who visited the jail on the court’s order, told reporters on Tuesday that the report consists of seven pages and 22 paragraphs and has been submitted to the Supreme Court. “My first responsibility was to submit the report,” he said, adding that he had praised Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan and the Adiala Jail administration.
Chief Justice Afridi had ordered that Safdar be treated with respect and given full access to the PTI founder’s cell. “Our friend of the court is expected to have access to the PTI founder in Adiala jail with due respect,” the chief justice said. He added that Safdar’s personal officer would help him if he had any difficulty.
The bench, comprising CJP Afridi and Justice Shahid Bilal Hasan, had directed Safdar to prepare the report and submit it by Wednesday, ensuring a detailed description of the PTI founder’s living conditions and the facilities available.
