Imran left with 'only 15pc vision in his right eye': Report submitted in SC

The Supreme Court has received separate reports from PTI counsel Salman Safdar and the superintendent of Adiala Jail detailing the prison conditions of former prime minister Imran Khan.

The lawyer — appointed as amicus curiae — met Imran at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail on Tuesday and later submitted a seven-page account to the court. The document outlines his interaction with the PTI founder, the state of his cell and living compound, available facilities, and his own process of entering the prison.

According to the report, Safdar recorded several health-related concerns raised by Imran, including issues with his eyesight. He quoted the PTI founder as saying that “despite the treatment administered (including an injection), he has been left with only 15 per cent vision in his right eye”.

The lawyer noted that Imran told him his vision had previously been normal. He said that approximately “three to four months earlier, until October 2025, he had normal 6 x 6 vision in both eyes”, but later developed blurred and hazy sight. The complaint was reportedly brought to the attention of the jail administration, yet he maintained that “no action was taken by the jail authorities”.

The report stated: “Imran stated that he subsequently suffered a sudden and complete loss of vision in his right eye, following which an ophthalmologist from Pims Hospital, Dr Muhammad Arif, was called to examine him.”

It added that, “He was diagnosed with a blood clot that caused severe damage, and despite the treatment administered (including an injection), he has been left with only 15 per cent vision in his right eye.”

Safdar also described his own observations during the meeting, telling the court that he “personally observed that the petitioner appeared visibly perturbed and deeply distressed by the loss of vision and the absence of timely and specialised medical intervention”.

He recounted that “Throughout the meeting, the petitioner’s eyes were watery, and he repeatedly used a tissue to wipe them, reflecting physical discomfort.”

The lawyer said he later obtained a medical report from Imran’s family dated February 6 and signed by Professor Dr Rana Imran Sikander. However, he told the court that “The available report does not contain full details of the episodes, nor does it identify the qualified ophthalmologist who conducted the tests and administered the treatment, including the anti-VEGF intravitreal injection given in the operating theatre. The report diagnosed the condition as ‘right central retinal vein occlusion’.”

In addition, Safdar quoted Imran as claiming that “regular and periodic blood tests” were not conducted during the relevant period. While his personal doctors had previously been allowed access, the former prime minister stated that “despite repeated requests and a deteriorating ocular condition, no such access was allowed during the relevant period”.