Pakistan Supreme Court Orders Eye Exam for Imran Khan

Pakistan's Supreme Court ordered authorities on Thursday to assemble a medical team to examine the right eye of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan, following reports that he has suffered severe vision loss due to delayed treatment for a blood clot. The court set a deadline of February 16 for the examination and also directed that Khan be permitted phone contact with his two sons living in the United Kingdom.

The 73-year-old Khan, who has been detained in Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi since August 2023 on multiple corruption charges, experienced a rapid decline in vision over the past three months, according to a detailed report submitted to the court by Barrister Salman Safdar. Appointed as an amicus curiae by the Supreme Court, Safdar met with Khan for two hours on February 10 and inspected his detention conditions before filing the seven-page document on Wednesday.

Safdar's report described Khan's complaints of persistent blurred and hazy vision, which prison officials allegedly ignored despite repeated notifications. Under the previous jail superintendent, who was transferred in mid-January, no medical action was taken until Khan suffered a sudden and complete loss of...