Imran Khan PIMS Eye Treatment: Follow-Up Injection
The Imran Khan PIMS eye treatment moved to a follow-up round overnight, as the former prime minister received a follow-up anti-VEGF injection for his right eye at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad and was discharged at about 2:30am, the hospital confirmed on Wednesday.
Dawn reported that Khan was brought from Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi to PIMS during the night between 10 and 11 November for a check-up and follow-up eye treatment, on the advice of his treating ophthalmologist.
Before the procedure, he underwent a medical examination, including an ocular assessment. His vital parameters were normal, and his general physical examination was unremarkable. After obtaining informed consent, and following standard monitoring procedures and clinical protocols, the ophthalmology team administered an intravitreal anti-VEGF injection. The official said he remained clinically stable before, during and after the procedure, and was discharged at around 2:30am with instructions for further care and follow-up.
Imran Khan PIMS eye treatment follows January diagnosis
The overnight visit was a follow-up to treatment that began in late January, when Khan first complained of reduced vision in his right eye. A senior PIMS ophthalmologist examined him at the jail.
That examination included a slit-lamp evaluation, fundoscopy, intraocular pressure measurement and an optical coherence tomography (OCT) scan of the retina. Doctors diagnosed right central retinal vein occlusion, a condition in which pressure in the blood vessels of the retina affects vision.
On medical advice, Khan was brought to PIMS late on a Saturday night in late January for the first injection, after the treatment plan was explained to him in full and his informed consent was obtained. It was carried out in an operating theatre under standard sterile protocols and monitoring, and completed in about 20 minutes.
The hospital later gave him a second dose of the injections in February, and Dawn said its last reported hospital visit for his eye ailment before this week was in June.
PTI raises concern over hospital transfer
The transfer has drawn strong objections from Khan’s party and family. When the first injection was given in late January, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja said the party founder was denied basic human rights and had been secretly transferred from Adiala Jail to PIMS on a Saturday evening.
His personal physician, Dr Asim Yousaf, had already expressed serious concern over his health. PTI leaders and family members have repeated their demand that Khan be examined at Shifa International Hospital instead of PIMS, in the presence of his personal physicians and family.
PTI has filed a contempt petition over the hospital transfer, arguing that the government violated a Supreme Court order of 18 August 2026 that directed Khan’s transfer to Shifa International Hospital. The government took him to PIMS instead, blaming a security situation created by PTI workers on the way to and outside the hospital, a claim the party denies.
Why the case matters
The health of a former prime minister in custody is a matter of public concern, and the dispute over where he is treated has now reached the Supreme Court. Khan’s sister Uzma Khan has asked the court to prioritise the hearing on his health transfer, while the party has pressed the court over his health before.
The case also sits alongside his other legal battles. The Islamabad High Court has adjourned the 190 million pound corruption case for 10 days, and his wife Bushra Bibi has separately petitioned the court over an eyesight matter. Khan has been held at Adiala Jail since August 2023.
For the government, the episode is a test of transparency. It confirmed the treatment only after reports of the hospital visit surfaced, and the overnight timing has fuelled questions from the opposition about why the family and his own doctors were not told in advance.
What happens next
PIMS discharged Khan with instructions for further care, so more hospital visits are likely as treatment continues. Doctors will monitor whether his vision improves after the repeat injection.
The legal dispute will also continue. The Supreme Court will have to consider the exact wording and scope of its 18 August order, the circumstances of the decision to take Khan to PIMS, and whether the examination that followed met the court’s directions.
Frequently asked questions
Why was Imran Khan taken to PIMS?
He was taken from Adiala Jail to PIMS in Islamabad during the night between 10 and 11 November 2026 for a medical check-up and follow-up eye treatment, on the advice of his treating ophthalmologist.
What injection did Imran Khan receive?
He received an intravitreal anti-VEGF injection for right central retinal vein occlusion, a condition in which pressure in the blood vessels of the retina affects vision. The hospital described the overnight visit as follow-up treatment for the same condition, first diagnosed in late January.
When was Imran Khan discharged from PIMS?
He was discharged at around 2:30am on 11 November, after remaining clinically stable before, during and after the procedure, with instructions for further care and follow-up.
What did PTI say about the hospital transfer?
PTI has demanded that he be examined at Shifa International Hospital in the presence of his personal physicians and family, and has filed a contempt petition saying the government violated a Supreme Court order by taking him to PIMS instead.
What is the court case about Imran Khan’s treatment?
PTI has filed a contempt petition saying the government violated a Supreme Court order of 18 August 2026 by taking Khan to PIMS instead of Shifa International Hospital. His sister Uzma Khan has also asked the court to prioritise the hearing on his health transfer.
