Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Salman Akram Raja claimed on Wednesday that Imran Khan’s eyesight had been damaged in custody, alleging the party founder lost vision in one eye due to torture in prison.
Speaking to reporters outside the Supreme Court in Islamabad, Raja said Khan had been imprisoned for 1,000 days and was being denied basic constitutional rights.
The claim came days after Khan received a fourth intravitreal injection at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences on April 28 as part of ongoing follow-up treatment.
A report submitted to the Supreme Court by Khan’s lawyer and amicus curiae Salman Safdar said the jailed PTI founder had been diagnosed with central retinal vein occlusion, a serious eye condition.
The condition occurs when the main vein draining blood from the retina becomes blocked and is often associated with cardiovascular risk factors, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and heart disease.
Raja alleged that meetings with Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were being restricted and that court orders on visitation rights were not being implemented. He claimed that signatures on vakalatnamas were being blocked and that only selected people were allowed to meet Khan.
The PTI leader also alleged that Bushra Bibi was facing false cases, including references related to Toshakhana, and said that party petitions filed in the Supreme Court were not being heard.
Raja said PTI had exhausted legal avenues and would take its case before the people of Pakistan, while also claiming the judiciary had been weakened and judges were being transferred as punishment.
