ISLAMABAD — The amicus curiae’s report submitted to the Pakistan’s Supreme Court on former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s living conditions in jail is a damning indictment of the government, a leading Pakistani daily has stated.
“It categorically reveals that lawful facilities under the prison manual were denied to the incarcerated former Prime Minister, and especially, his health concerns were not taken care of. This criminal neglect caused a severe infection in the PTI founder’s right eye, which is now left with less than 15 per cent of vision,” an editorial in The Express Tribune opined.
According to the newspaper, Salman Safdar, whom the top court has assigned the role of ‘Friend of Court’ to visit Khan and report on how he is being treated during imprisonment, informed a two-member bench under Chief Justice Yahya Afridi that until October 2025, Khan’s vision was 6×6, but later it began to blur. It is now documented that the jail superintendent ignored all pleas for a course correction, including access to a qualified ophthalmologist.
“The government now finds itself in the dock, as it failed to go by the book and the high-profile prisoner was apparently made to suffer. That is why the lords have issued orders that Khan be allowed to see personal physicians and establish telephonic contact with his sons living abroad. That the court has sought compliance with its order by February 16 is a good omen, and the government must abide by it,” The Express Tribune editorial reckoned.
It added that the minute details of the daily routine of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party chief, his menu and the stunted facilities available to him in prison warrant a comparison with how the “who’s who have been treated behind bars” in yesteryears.
“The situation calls for accountability of jail officials and those at the helm, whose criminal neglect is costing the former chief executive his eyesight. It’s time to make amends and let justice and fair play be the hallmarks in dealings with imprisoned political inmates,” the newspaper stated.
Meanwhile, the newspaper reported on Saturday that a petition has been filed in the Islamabad High Court seeking suspension of Imran Khan’s sentence in the Toshakhana-II case and his release on bail on medical grounds.
“The petition was filed through Barrister Salman Safdar and Khalid Yousuf Chaudhry on Saturday. A miscellaneous application has also been filed seeking an early hearing of the case related to the suspension of sentence in the £190 million case,” the Express Tribune reported.
“According to the petition, the Toshakhana-II case warrants suspension of sentence both on merit and medical grounds. The former premier is suffering from a serious condition in his right eye, the petition reads, diagnosed by Dr Muhammad Arif of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, who stated that his right eye has been severely affected due to a blood clot,” it added. –IANS
