1 week ago
Former Cricket Captains Urge Pakistan PM Over Imran Khan Care
Imran Khan is a former prime minister of Pakistan and a famous cricket captain.
Twenty-one former cricket captains wrote to Pakistan’s prime minister asking that Khan receive proper medical care.
They said the Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered Khan to be examined by a medical board that included his own doctors.
They said he was instead examined by a state-appointed team and returned to jail after only a few hours.
The captains are especially concerned about reports that Khan has lost vision in his right eye.
They also want weekly family visits ordered by the court to happen without delays.
Khan’s sister has asked the court to consider contempt proceedings against officials.
The government says doctors examined Khan, security concerns affected the hospital transfer, and it rejects claims of medical neglect or solitary confinement.
Twenty-one former international cricket captains appealed to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for humane treatment and proper medical care for Imran Khan.
The appeal followed concerns that the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s August 18 order was not fully implemented.
Imran Khan was taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences instead of Shifa International Hospital before returning to Adiala Jail.
The captains want the court-directed medical board, including Khan’s personal doctors, to independently assess him, particularly his reported right-eye vision loss.
Khan’s sister Uzma Khan petitioned the Supreme Court for contempt proceedings, while the government disputed allegations of medical neglect and unlawful isolation.
- Who
- Twenty-one former international cricket captains appealed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif; Imran Khan’s sister Uzma Khan separately petitioned the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
- What
- The captains requested completion of an independent medical assessment, uninterrupted weekly family visits, and prompt treatment for Imran Khan.
- Where
- The events involved Pakistan, including Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad, and the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad.
- When
- The letter was dated August 23, 2026, following the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s August 18 order and Khan’s August 20–21 hospital transfer.
- Why
- The captains, Khan’s family, and his political supporters said the hospital transfer and medical examination did not follow the court’s directions; the government disputed those allegations.
Khan’s Family, Supporters and Former Captains
Pakistan Government’s Position
Compliance with the hospital order
Khan’s Family, Supporters and Former Captains
Khan’s family, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf supporters and the former captains said transferring him to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences rather than Shifa International Hospital failed to comply with the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s order.
Pakistan Government’s Position
The government said doctors from Shifa International Hospital examined Khan and that security concerns prevented his transfer there; it also said supporters had gathered near the private hospital despite restrictions.
Medical assessment
Khan’s Family, Supporters and Former Captains
The former captains and Khan’s family want the court-directed board, including Khan’s personal doctors and his sister Uzma Khan, to complete an independent assessment, especially concerning his right-eye vision.
Pakistan Government’s Position
Khan was examined by a state-appointed team and was reported as medically fit; the government also said his condition had improved following treatment.
Treatment and prison conditions
Khan’s Family, Supporters and Former Captains
Khan’s family accused authorities of cruelty, mental torture, punitive solitary confinement and medical neglect.
Pakistan Government’s Position
Pakistan’s Ministry of Information rejected those claims, saying Khan was a convicted prisoner, had received more than 900 authorised visits since 2023, and had access to weekly meetings and phone or WhatsApp communication with relatives.
Legal accountability
Khan’s Family, Supporters and Former Captains
Uzma Khan asked the Supreme Court to initiate contempt proceedings against officials for alleged wilful and deliberate disobedience of its August 18 order.
Pakistan Government’s Position
The government disputed the underlying allegations; the articles do not report a court ruling on the petition.
Key facts
- Letter signatories
- The letter was signed by 21 former international cricket captains, including Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar, Ian Chappell and Greg Chappell.
- Reported discrepancy
- One report described the group as 22 former captains, but the published letter identifies 21 signatories.
- Recipient
- Shehbaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan.
- Supreme Court order
- The August 18 order directed that Imran Khan be transferred to Shifa International Hospital, examined by a medical board including his own doctors, and allowed weekly family visits.
- Reported transfer
- Khan was taken to the state-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad during the night of August 20–21 and later returned to Adiala Jail.
- Medical concern
- The captains requested particular attention to reports of vision loss in Khan’s right eye.
- Legal challenge
- Uzma Khan sought contempt proceedings against Shehbaz Sharif, ministers and senior officials, alleging wilful violation of the Supreme Court’s order.
- Government position
- The government said doctors from Shifa International Hospital had examined Khan, cited security concerns, and denied claims that he faced medical neglect or solitary confinement.
Quotes
Twenty-one former international cricket captains
Former international cricket captains who signed the appeal to Pakistan’s prime minister
“Concerningly, Mr. Khan’s hospital stay lasted only a few hours. He was examined by a state-appointed team rather than the board the court had directed, declared ‘medically fit,’ and returned to Adiala jail before that board could complete its work.””
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“Whatever the legal and political arguments surrounding his case, the basic decency of ensuring a court-ordered medical process is actually completed is not, in our view, a controversial request.”
livemint.com
Sources
Gavaskar, Kapil, Vengsarkar Among 21 Captains To Write Fresh Letter To Pakistan PM Over Imran Khan's Treatment
Imran Khan Health: Kapil, Gavaskar Among 21 Former Captains To Write To Pakistan PM Seeking Proper Medical Care
Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, among former 22 cricket captains wrote letter to Pakistan PM over Imran Khan's health
Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, Ian Chappell & Co urge Pakistan PM to ensure Imran Khan’s medical care; ‘Basic decency…’
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