ISLAMABAD – In the shadowed halls of Pakistan’s justice system, a plea echoes for the ailing former Prime Minister Imran Khan, whose once-vibrant spirit now battles the dimming light of failing health behind prison bars, according to The Nation. On February 25, 2026, his legal team, led by Sardar Latif Khosa, filed a urgent petition in the Supreme Court, begging to shift the 73 year old leader from Adiala Jail to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad. They demand access for his trusted doctors, Faisal Sultan and Asim Yusuf, to oversee treatment for his severe eye condition, right central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO), diagnosed in late January, which has robbed him of nearly all vision in one eye.
Khan’s health has plummeted like a fading star. Reports from his lawyer paint a grim picture: confined to a filthy, sweltering cell infested with insects and reeking of foul odors, he endures contaminated water and extreme humidity. A recent midnight transfer to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) for an anti-VEGF injection offered fleeting relief, with normal ECG results, but his family cries foul over the secrecy. “We have no trust in government reports,” his sister Aleema Khan declared, her voice laced with fear and frustration. She insists on family presence during exams, rejecting claims of improvement and questioning even the party’s handling of his care. Khan’s sons, from afar, warn of severe deterioration, while PTI leaders rally for transparency, fearing his life hangs by a thread in this “psychological torture.”
International voices amplify the outcry. The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Alice Jill Edwards, condemned his prolonged solitary confinement, 23 hours daily under constant surveillance as inhumane, potentially amounting to torture if exceeding 15 days. Human rights groups like Amnesty International decry restricted access to family and counsel, urging Pakistan to end these violations. Even a coalition of former cricket captains penned a heartfelt letter, pleading for humane treatment for the global icon.
Khan’s party, PTI, shares the anguish, demanding immediate medical freedom amid whispers of a rift with his kin. As the court deliberates, the nation holds its breath, wondering if justice will pierce the darkness enveloping this fallen hero.__Photo Courtesy The Nation
