Imran Khan Health Concerns Spark Appeals From Cricket Legends

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan remains imprisoned at Adiala prison on corruption charges since August 2023, while his family and party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, continuously raise alarms over his deteriorating health and significant vision loss in his right eye. Pakistan Supreme Court ordered his transfer to Shifa International Hospital for medical evaluation on August 18, 2026, though authorities briefly took him to the public Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences instead before returning him to prison.

Prominent figures from the cricketing world, including former teammates Javed Miandad and Moin Khan, have publicly appealed for his proper medical treatment and release, with Miandad breaking down in an emotional interview defending Khan's integrity. Furthermore, international cricket captains such as Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Allan Border, and Pat Cummins urged authorities to treat the former leader with dignity and ensure appropriate medical care.

Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar maintained that Khan is in good health and a qualified medical team declared him fit, while denying allegations of mistreatment or medical neglect during his approximately 30 medical examinations. Conversely, Khan's sons Sulaiman and Kasim Khan alleged at Lord's that authorities keep their father in isolation for nearly 23 hours daily and attempt to silence him permanently.