What happened
Citing a fresh medical examination report, Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said on 16 February 2026 that jailed former prime minister Imran Khan had around 70 per cent vision in one eye with corrective glasses, while his other eye retained normal 6/6 vision.
Speaking at a lawyers’ ceremony in Ferozewala, Punjab, Tarar said the medical team had expressed complete satisfaction with Khan’s ongoing eye treatment. Referring to concerns about specific visual measurements, he said there was no need to worry about the “35/25” issue and that the team had briefed opposition leaders and Khan’s personal physicians, according to The News.
The remarks followed the submission to the Supreme Court of a medical report by Khan’s counsel and the court’s amicus curiae, Salman Safdar. The report confirmed that Khan had been diagnosed with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO), a condition generally associated with older age and cardiovascular risk factors, and said he had complained of losing about 85 per cent of the vision in his right eye. A complete report had been due to the court by 16 February.
The examination
Sources told Geo News that Khan underwent an hour-long examination by a panel of five senior doctors, after which the pain in his right eye reduced significantly. The sources said specialist teams from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences and Al-Shifa International Hospital examined him, expressed satisfaction with his condition and noted significant improvement in his eyesight. Jail authorities forwarded his complete medical record, including charts of blood pressure, pulse, temperature and blood sugar, to the Punjab Home Department.
The protest
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the opposition alliance Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP) continued their sit-in around Parliament House for a fourth day. The Express Tribune reported that PTI resumed its sit-in outside the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House after a parliamentary party meeting chaired by Chief Minister Sohail Afridi reviewed the health report, with around 90 parliamentarians present. Islamabad Police registered a case against several PTI MNAs, MPAs and other leaders over rioting in the Red Zone, invoking Section 144, the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act 2024 and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, the paper reported.
Tarar also warned that the federal government would be compelled to act if the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government blocked roads at the official level, saying the closure of motorways and the Grand Trunk Road was illegal and unconstitutional.
Why it matters
The medical dispute has become the sharpest flashpoint in weeks of tension between the government and PTI, keeping the Supreme Court at the centre of the case and drawing the opposition alliance into a sustained protest in the capital. It also keeps pressure on the government over the treatment of Khan, who has been jailed since August 2023 and whose party and family say his condition requires care from doctors of their choosing.
What remains open
The competing accounts of Khan’s vision — the minister’s figure of about 70 per cent with glasses and the reported 85 per cent loss cited in the court filing — rest on statements and filings rather than material released publicly in full. It was not immediately clear whether Khan would be moved to a hospital, and the opposition said its sit-in would continue until its demands were met.
Sources & reporting notes
This article summarises published reporting, not eyewitness coverage. Sources were reviewed on 16 February 2026.
- The News — "Imran Khan has 70% vision in one eye with glasses, other normal 6x6: law minister"16 February 2026 · Carries the law minister's remarks, the confirmed CRVO diagnosis, the reported 85 per cent vision loss in the court filing, the medical examination details and the Punjab Home Department record.
- The Express Tribune — "PTI restarts K-P House protest after reviewing Imran's health report"16 February 2026 · Reports the fourth day of the sit-in, the PTI parliamentary party meeting, the number of lawmakers present and the Islamabad Police case over Red Zone rioting.
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