By The South Asia Times

ISLAMABAD - The party of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan alleged that the jailed opposition leader has lost 85% vision in his right eye due to "deliberate, criminal negligence" by the government, as the Supreme Court ordered an urgent medical examination following a prison visit by his lawyer.

The claim by Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party on the social media platform X marked a dramatic escalation in the confrontation between the imprisoned former cricket star and the administration of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whom Khan accuses of orchestrating a crackdown to sideline the country's most popular opposition figure.

Khan has been held at Rawalpindi's high-security Adiala jail for 922 days on what his supporters describe as politically motivated charges ranging from corruption to revealing state secrets.

The party statement said he is being held under conditions violating the United Nations Nelson Mandela Rules, describing "extended periods of complete isolation," solitary confinement in a "death cell," contaminated water, unsanitary conditions and denial of medical aid.

"Imran Khan remains illegally incarcerated for 922 days, under conditions which violate the United Nations' Nelson Mandela rules," PTI posted Friday.

The allegations surfaced a day after the Supreme Court ordered the formation of a medical team to examine Khan's eye condition, responding to a petition challenging his detention conditions.

The directive requires the examination to be completed by Monday and also orders that Khan be permitted telephone contact with his children, privileges his family says have been denied for months.

The court acted after PTI counsel Salman Safdar, appointed as friend of the court, submitted a seven-page report following a prison visit Tuesday, according to Dawn. 

Safdar quoted Khan as saying he had "normal 6x6 vision in both eyes" until approximately October 2025, when he began experiencing persistent blurred vision.

According to the report, Khan repeatedly complained to the jail superintendent but "no action was taken." He subsequently suffered "sudden and complete loss of vision" in his right eye.

A doctor from Islamabad's Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences eventually diagnosed a blood clot and administered treatment, including an injection, but Khan told his lawyer he has been "left with only 15pc vision" in the eye.

Safdar said he "personally observed that the petitioner appeared visibly perturbed and deeply distressed by the loss of vision and the absence of timely and specialised medical intervention.

" The lawyer noted Khan's eyes were watery throughout the meeting and he repeatedly used tissues "reflecting physical discomfort."

The January 24 medical procedure at Pims hospital was only confirmed days later, apparently without family notification.

During Thursday's hearing, Chief Justice Yahya Afridi emphasized that Khan's health was paramount. "Intervention was necessary," he observed. Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan acknowledged the state's responsibility to provide medical facilities, adding, "If the prisoner is not satisfied, then the state will take measures."

However, the court dismissed a request to have Khan's eye examined in the presence of family members.

On Friday, PTI youth activists attempted to march toward the National Assembly to protest Khan's condition and demand his release, but police blocked all routes to the parliament house, preventing demonstrators from approaching.

Government officials have denied allegations of mistreatment, insisting Khan receives appropriate medical care and is held under standard security protocols appropriate for a prisoner facing multiple serious charges.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar dismissed PTI's claims as "propaganda.".

"The narrative which was being propagated to International Media by Aleema Khan and other members of IK's family regarding mistreatment and shabby conditions in prison has fallen flat on its face. The report regarding daily routine and diet plan has cleared all ambiguity. All facilities are available to him and he has privileges more than any other prisoner," Tarar wrote on X.

The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has previously called for Khan's release, finding his detention lacked legal basis.

The former premier's wife, Bushra Bibi, also remains jailed alongside him, convicted in a separate cases.

• Top court order

Meanwhile, Khan's elder sister Aleema Khan claimed that despite of passing 24 hours, the country's top court didn't issue a written order regarding his brother.