The former Pakistan Prime Minister and World Cup-winning captain, Imran Khan, has been in detention since 2023. Late last year, he and his wife received 17-year sentences for alleged corruption, which the two denied. Khan’s administration from 2018 to 2022 ended abruptly with a no-confidence vote, following friction with Pakistan’s military. Since then, he has faced a string of court cases related to graft and other accusations.
Imran Khan has suffered significant vision loss in his right eye, according to statements from his family and lawyer. According to a report by former England captain Mike Atherton, Imran’s sons Sulaiman Isa Khan and Kasim Khan connected with him last weekend, the first conversation since January. Despite the long gap, the exchange reportedly showed that the ex-PM’s grit is intact.
“We asked him about his physical health, but he brushed it off. He said, ‘I’m doing fine,’ and mentioned that his eyesight is improving slightly, which I took as a positive sign. This time, he seemed more worried about his wife, whose condition is reportedly just as serious as his. He said they can’t break his spirit and that he can handle anything, but when it comes to family and loved ones, it becomes much harder,” Kasim said.
“The authorities are worried about public attention he is getting. They want to keep everything under wraps and isolate him to end the movement. You can see this in the small, and measures they take whenever anyone questions Imran’s conditions. They have banned new books and cut the electricity in his cell,” he added.
“Life in prison has strengthened Imran mentally, and he spends a lot of time meditating. He’s grown so much spiritually and psychologically that he views this as a challenge he must endure. I don’t think he’s affected in the way he might have been even a decade ago. He believes that if things have unfolded this way, then this is how they were meant to happen despite the harsh conditions and the toll they take on his body,” Kasim mentioned.
“There were frequent blackouts. He said the first couple of days were extremely tough, but after that, he entered a meditative state. Ironically, these harsh conditions have actually taught him how to endure and stay composed for longer periods,” he revealed.
Imran’s sons haven’t seen him since 2022 and are still waiting for visas to travel to Pakistan. “He’s faced several close calls in the past, like when he was shot a few years ago. You never really get used to it, but you do develop a certain resilience. I wouldn’t say we were actively preparing for this, but I know this is his passion. He has made it clear publicly that he would rather remain in prison than compromise his principles,” Sulaiman told Atherton.
“When I was younger, I used to dislike him being involved in politics. I wished he would just focus on cricket analysis or something less risky. I remember a standoff he had with a politician in Karachi, a mafia-type figure, and I kept pleading with him to step back. But he would just laugh, and over time I realized that he wouldn’t be satisfied unless he was doing politics or something he felt was truly meaningful and challenging. I’ve come to accept that as I’ve grown older,” he added.
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