Imran Khan must get ‘humane treatment and proper medical care’ in prison, ex-cricket captains urge Pakistan

24th August, 2026 | News

Former international cricket captains, including Sir Alastair Cook, Michael Atherton, Kapil Dev and Adam Gilchrist, have urged the Pakistani government to ensure that jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan receives humane treatment and proper medical care.

In a letter to Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the former cricketers called on the government to comply with a Supreme Court order requiring an independent medical board, including Khan’s personal doctors, to conduct a full assessment of his health.

The appeal follows Khan’s brief transfer to a hospital last week after the court ordered that he undergo a medical examination. According to his family and legal team, he was instead examined by a state-appointed medical team, declared medically fit and returned to Adiala Jail before the court-directed medical board could complete its assessment.

The former cricketers expressed particular concern over reports that Khan has suffered significant loss of vision in his right eye. They also called for weekly family visits, which had reportedly been reinstated by the Supreme Court, to be honoured without interruption.

The signatories said their appeal was not intended to interfere in Pakistan’s political or legal affairs but was based on the principle that a court-ordered medical process should be properly completed.

The 73-year-old former cricketer-turned-politician has been in prison since August 2023 after being convicted in several cases that he and his supporters describe as politically motivated. Khan was removed from office as Pakistan’s prime minister in 2022.

His former wife, Jemima Goldsmith Khan, has separately called on UK officials to intervene and help secure access to his doctors. She described his situation as a human-rights concern and urged the government to uphold principles against arbitrary detention and inhumane treatment.

Khan’s sister, Dr Uzma Khan, has also accused authorities of violating the Supreme Court’s order by taking him to a government hospital rather than the private facility designated by the court.

Pakistan’s information ministry has denied allegations of medical neglect and mistreatment, saying the claims are not supported by prison and medical records.

Meanwhile, Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has filed a contempt petition against the government over his transfer to a public hospital.