The eye condition of jailed former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan has improved significantly and his vision has returned to “almost normal”, prison authorities told the Supreme Court on Monday.

The report was submitted a day before the apex court was scheduled to hear Khan’s plea seeking treatment at Islamabad’s Shifa International Hospital, a leading private medical facility.

The 73-year-old founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has been in jail since August 2023. He has undergone treatment several times at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad after being diagnosed with right central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO), an eye condition that affects blood flow in the retina.

Jail report says vision has improved

Authorities at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail submitted a medical report detailing Khan’s latest condition.

According to the report, Khan received treatment from Dr Muhammad Arif Khan, head of ophthalmology at PIMS, and Dr Nadeem Qureshi, a vitreo-retinal surgeon at Alshifa Trust Eye Hospital in Rawalpindi.

“Consequently, significant improvement of his eye has been noticed, and his vision returned to almost normal,” the report said.

The authorities said the improvement demonstrated that the jail administration had made efforts to provide Khan with appropriate medical care.

The report said medical officers visited Khan three times a day to monitor his meals and check vital signs, including blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen saturation. His medical records have also been maintained throughout his imprisonment.

Several medical consultants and specialists from different hospitals have reportedly examined Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, who is also imprisoned at Adiala Jail.

The jail administration said both were being provided adequate healthcare and that their health and well-being remained a priority.

Supreme Court to hear Khan’s treatment plea

The prison authorities have urged the Supreme Court to dismiss Khan’s petition, arguing that it lacks merit.

A three-member bench headed by Justice Shahid Wahid, along with Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim, is scheduled to hear the petition on August 18.

Khan was arrested on August 5, 2023, following his conviction in a corruption case.

PTI raises fresh concerns over health

Despite the jail authorities’ report, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi expressed concern over Khan’s health.

Afridi said a recent medical report showing elevated blood pressure had increased concerns about the former prime minister’s condition. He claimed Khan’s personal physicians, Dr Asim and Dr Faisal, had previously found his blood pressure to be within the normal range.

Afridi also alleged that Khan’s family members, lawyers and personal doctors had been unable to meet him since December 2, 2025.

He said PTI leaders, Khan’s family, legal team and personal physicians would consult on the party’s next steps.

Afridi argued that the party was not seeking special treatment but wanted Khan to receive healthcare and justice in accordance with the law. He warned that continued concerns over Khan’s treatment could further undermine public confidence in Pakistan’s institutions.