West Indies cricket legend Brian Lara has joined a chorus of former international cricket captains in calling for adequate and impartial medical treatment for former prime minister and 1992 World Cup-winning captain Imran Khan. Lara emphasized that the matter transcends politics, framing it as a question of fundamental human dignity.
Though Lara and Khan only encountered each other a few times on the cricket field, Lara expressed enduring respect for Khan, describing him as a symbol of hope, pride, and inspiration for Pakistan. He appealed for Khan to be treated with the compassion he deserves, stating, “This is not about politics; it is about basic humanity for a legend of our sport.” His remarks were made in an Instagram post.
This call follows a similar appeal made last month by 21 former international cricket captains who petitioned Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to ensure Khan receives medical care in accordance with a Supreme Court directive. This was the second such letter in six months from former players concerned about Khan’s health and wellbeing. Khan, aged 73, has been detained at Adiala jail in Rawalpindi since August 2023.
On August 23, the Supreme Court ordered the government to transfer Khan to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad for evaluation and treatment by a multidisciplinary medical board. The court also mandated that Khan’s personal physician and sister, Dr. Uzma Khan, be involved in his care and required authorities to facilitate weekly family visits and twice-weekly phone calls with his sons.
However, the former captains noted that the court-ordered medical process had not been fully implemented. Instead of being taken to Shifa International Hospital, Khan was examined at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) by a team of doctors and declared medically fit before being returned to jail within hours. The government defended this action, stating the examination complied with Supreme Court orders and included doctors from Shifa International Hospital.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar explained the decision to use PIMS was driven by security concerns related to protests by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters. The government has denied allegations of inadequate medical treatment or mistreatment in prison, highlighting that Khan has undergone about 30 medical examinations since his incarceration. Specialists from PIMS, Shifa International Hospital, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital, and Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital have all assessed him.
Authorities also pointed to official records showing over 900 visits by family members, lawyers, doctors, political representatives, and other approved visitors since Khan’s imprisonment, refuting claims of isolation or restricted access.
The health dispute partly centers on an eye condition diagnosed earlier this year. Khan’s family and PTI have expressed serious concerns about significant vision loss in his right eye, accusing authorities of neglecting proper treatment. Prison officials told the Supreme Court in August that Khan’s vision had improved substantially and was nearly normal, following treatment for right central retinal vein occlusion identified in January.
The Supreme Court subsequently ordered Khan’s hospitalization after petitions sought access to specialized care, his personal doctors, family members, and medical records. The government contested this order, arguing that transferring a convicted prisoner to a private hospital could set a problematic precedent and questioned the legal grounds for the directive.
The group of international cricket figures who signed the August appeal clarified that their intervention was not intended to interfere in Pakistan’s legal or political matters. They wrote as former colleagues and rivals connected through cricket, urging the completion of the court-ordered medical evaluation. Notable signatories included India’s Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev, Australia’s Greg Chappell, Ian Chappell, and Allan Border, West Indies’ Clive Lloyd, Sri Lanka’s Arjuna Ranatunga, England’s Michael Atherton, David Gower, and Nasser Hussain, and New Zealand’s John Wright.
Their three primary requests were to allow the Supreme Court-mandated medical board, including Khan’s personal doctors, to complete its assessment; to ensure uninterrupted weekly family visits as ordered by the court; and to provide any recommended treatment promptly following the evaluation.
This August appeal followed an earlier letter in February from 14 former international captains who had raised alarms about Khan’s worsening eyesight. Khan’s supporters have consistently accused authorities of politically motivated prosecutions and mistreatment during imprisonment, allegations the government denies, maintaining that Khan is detained following court convictions in multiple cases.
Imran Khan, founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, served as prime minister from 2018 until his ousting through a parliamentary no-confidence vote in April 2022. His party continues to assert that the legal actions against him are politically driven, while the government rejects these claims.
Khan’s incarceration has drawn attention from international human rights organizations, which have expressed concerns about aspects of his trials and detention conditions. Lara’s intervention brings the voice of one of cricket’s most celebrated icons to an ongoing campaign spotlighting Khan’s health and prison circumstances on the global stage.
