A group of 21 former international cricket captains has issued a letter to Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, requesting that former Prime Minister Imran Khan receive medical care and assessments as ordered by the country's courts. The letter, initiated by former Australian captain Greg Chappell and signed by players from England, India, and Australia, expresses concern over the 73-year-old's health while in custody. The signatories stated that ensuring a court-ordered medical process is a matter of "basic decency."
Mr. Khan, who led Pakistan's national cricket team before entering politics, served as prime minister from 2018 until 2022. He has been imprisoned since August 2023 on various corruption charges, all of which he denies and characterizes as politically motivated. His party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, has filed a contempt petition against the government, alleging that officials have not provided Mr. Khan access to his personal physicians despite a judicial order.
The former captains' letter outlines three specific requests: a medical board assessment directed by the Supreme Court that includes Mr. Khan’s personal doctors; weekly, uninterrupted family visits; and the immediate implementation of any recommended treatments. The group highlighted reports concerning a loss of vision in Mr. Khan's right eye. According to a claim made by his lawyer in February, the former prime minister had 15% vision remaining in that eye due to a lack of medical action by prison authorities.
For the individual involved, the primary impact is the potential for a change in medical oversight. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court directed the government to transfer Mr. Khan to a private hospital for examination. Instead, he was taken to a government-run hospital in Islamabad for a few hours, where state-appointed doctors declared him "medically fit" before returning him to prison. The fulfillment of the captains' request would mean Mr. Khan would be examined by his own doctors to verify these findings, particularly regarding his eyesight, which could lead to new medical treatments or surgical interventions.
The situation sets a precedent regarding the influence of international sporting figures on domestic political and legal matters in Pakistan. The ongoing legal disputes, involving more than 100 cases against Mr. Khan ranging from leaking state secrets to selling state gifts, continue to shape the country's political landscape. The next steps in this matter depend on the government's response to the contempt petition and whether the requested medical board, including personal physicians, is established by the court or the administration. No specific deadline for a government response was reported.