Pakistan29 August, 20263 min read
Moin Khan Urges Pakistan Authorities To Provide Medical Care For Jailed Imran Khan At Adiala Jail
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Moin Khan urged authorities to provide proper medical care for Imran Khan in Adiala jail. Khan family says Imran's health worsened, with anxiety and heart palpitations, six-month isolation.
Medical care in Adiala
Moin Khan urged Pakistan authorities to ensure jailed former prime minister Imran Khan receives proper medical care while he is held at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, saying, “his right to medical care should be honoured.” The 73-year-old Imran has been lodged at Adiala Jail since 2023 after being convicted in corruption cases, and the criticism has been amplified by his family and former international cricketers. Javed Miandad broke down in tears while pleading for Imran Khan’s release, insisting Khan was not corrupt and urging authorities to resolve his imprisonment amid health concerns.
In a separate account, Hindustan Times said Pakistan’s apex court ordered that Imran be taken to hospital for check-ups, and that the order was honoured but described as a rushed affair after which 21 former cricketers wrote to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Hindustan Times also quoted Greg Chappell describing Imran’s condition as “not getting any better” and saying he had been in isolation for 3 years.
Sons, isolation, and denials
Imran Khan’s sons Sulaiman and Kasim Khan told Al Jazeera they have not heard their father’s voice in almost six months, with Kasim saying the last call lasted 20 minutes and that he “frantically asks about our lives and gives us advice.” Al Jazeera reported that Sulaiman said their father was “mentally tortured with this solitary confinement,” and Kasim said his heart rate “spikes considerably in his cell” with palpitations due to severe anxiety. The Pakistani Ministry of Information and Broadcasting rejected the family’s allegations, saying the government rejected claims that Khan was denied appropriate medical care or that it failed to comply with Supreme Court directions.
Al Jazeera also reported that on August 18 a three-judge Supreme Court bench ruled that Khan be moved to the private Shifa International Hospital within two days, granted weekly family visits and twice-weekly calls with his sons, and ordered that his personal physician and sister be allowed to take part in his medical care. In another report, Al Jazeera Net quoted the family’s view that government doctors are “essentially told what to say” and asked, “What are they hiding?” while the government countered that reports of ill health were not supported by prison or medical records.
Calls for release and next steps
Rediff said Javed Miandad pleaded for Imran Khan’s release, describing him as “an honest man” and saying, “He is not someone who engages in corrupt practices.” Rediff also reported that Imran’s sons spoke to Michael Atherton during Sky Sports’ coverage of the second Test between England and Pakistan at Lord’s, and that the interview prompted a reaction from the Pakistan Cricket Board with a formal complaint to Sky Sports. Al Jazeera reported that support for Khan’s release has come from the United Nations, Amnesty International, politicians in Washington and London, and 21 former cricket captains.
In the same Al Jazeera report, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said Khan had undergone 30 medical examinations since his imprisonment began and that doctors concluded he appears “oriented, stable and without any recorded acute or unmanaged deterioration.” Al Jazeera further said Khan was transferred to PIMS for a brief check-up before returning to jail on August 20, and that his party filed a contempt petition after the Supreme Court’s August 18 order.