- Doctor says Imran underwent 20-min eye procedure at Pims.
- Says Central Retinal Vein Occlusion diagnosed in his right eye.
- Imran discharged after successful treatment, says senior doctor.
Days after reports regarding former prime minister Imran Khan’s health that sent shockwaves through his party circles, a senior doctor has confirmed that he underwent a medical examination of his right eye, with doctors confirming that pressure in the blood vessels affected his vision.
The examination took place at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) in Islamabad.
In a video message released late on Friday, the hospital’s executive director, Dr Rana Imran Sikandar, said a team of senior doctors assessed Imran’s condition before discharging him. He explained that increased pressure in the vessels of the right eye had temporarily impacted his eyesight.
Sharing details of the treatment, Dr Sikandar said that Imran underwent a specialised medical procedure after doctors diagnosed a condition affecting the vision in his right eye.
He said the PTI founder had earlier complained of reduced eyesight in his right eye, prompting a detailed medical assessment. According to Dr Sikandar, a senior doctor first examined him at Adiala Jail before recommending further evaluation at the hospital.
A series of diagnostic tests were carried out, including a slit-lamp examination, fundoscopy, measurement of internal eye pressure and an optical coherence tomography (OCT) scan of the retina.
Doctors concluded that the former premier was suffering from central retinal vein occlusion, a condition caused by pressure affecting blood flow in the retina. The medical team advised immediate treatment under specialist supervision, he added.
On the medical advice, he was brought to the Pims hospital late at night between Saturday and Sunday for the recommended procedure, according to Dr Sikandar.
He further said the former premier was fully briefed about his condition and the proposed treatment, and written consent was obtained from him beforehand.
Dr Sikandar said the procedure was performed in a sterile operating theatre under close monitoring and was completed successfully in about 20 minutes. Throughout the treatment, the patient’s vital signs remained stable, he informed.
After the operation, Imran was discharged from the facility with medical instructions, follow-up advice and the necessary documentation for continued care.
PTI stages sit-in at Supreme Court
The medical update comes after the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) staged a sit-in outside the Supreme Court yesterday, demanding a meeting with the incarcerated party founder and access to information about his health.
PTI leaders had sought permission for his family and personal doctors to review his condition after it emerged that he had been taken to the hospital from Adiala Jail for medical checks.
Following the sit-in and a meeting with the Chief Justice of Pakistan, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja said that Imran’s family will receive his medical report.
Speaking to reporters, he said that the party was assured after an intense day of negotiations that it would receive a medical report for the party’s founder.
He, however, said that the achievement was “not entirely satisfactory”, adding that the party fought a “moral case” outside the court.
After receiving the assurances, the party ended its hours-long sit-in outside the apex court.
The PTI secretary general also revealed he had engaged in multiple discussions since morning with CJP Yahya Afridi and the Attorney General for Pakistan to express concerns about the PTI founder.
Raja noted securing the report was not the sole objective, vowing continued efforts to ensure Imran’s meeting with his family and associates.
‘Pims visit’
Reports about Imran’s brief hospital visit emerged on Wednesday, with PTI raising concerns about the former premier’s health.
Local media reported that the PTI founder underwent treatment for an eye ailment on Saturday and was subsequently returned to Adiala Jail the following day.
Following these reports, PTI Chief Barrister Gohar Khan said he had learned of the reported eye infection from the media, whereas Imran’s sister, Noreen Khan, refuted the claims, affirming that he had no eye-related issues and was in good health.
A day later, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah confirmed that the PTI founder was briefly taken to the Pims amid concerns raised by his party.
Speaking to Geo News exclusively on Thursday, Tarar said eye specialists had examined the PTI founder at Adiala Jail and advised that he be shifted to Pims for further assessment and treatment.
