What the minister confirmed
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed on 29 January 2026 that incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan had undergone a medical procedure for an eye ailment at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad. Speaking to Geo News, Tarar said the former prime minister, who is imprisoned at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail, was taken to PIMS for a “20-minute” medical procedure on the night of 24 January.
“Eye experts examined him in Adiala jail, after which they recommended that it was necessary to take him to Pims for a small medical process. Last Saturday night, he was taken to Pims on the recommendation of these eye doctors and experts,” Tarar said, as reported by Dawn. He added that Imran’s “eyes were further examined, and after his written approval, a 20-minute medical procedure was performed”, after which the former premier was taken back to Adiala jail with “important instructions”.
The minister said Imran’s vitals were stable throughout. “During the medical procedure, his vitals and everything were stable. He’s absolutely healthy,” Tarar stated, adding that all prisoners have access to doctors and medical treatment under jail rules.
PTI’s account of the ailment
Two days earlier, on 27 January, PTI said it had learned through credible reports that Imran had been diagnosed with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) in his right eye, described by the party as “a dangerous blockage in the retinal vein”. Citing medical experts, the party said that if the condition was not treated promptly and properly it could cause permanent damage to his eyesight. Also on 27 January, PTI members of the National Assembly filed a fresh petition before the Islamabad High Court seeking permission to meet Imran.
A senior doctor at PIMS told Dawn that Imran had been brought to the hospital under strict security on the Saturday night for a procedure that took considerable time and was completed in the early hours, so he was taken back on the Sunday. The doctor said there was “extraordinary movement” that night, with the operation theatres and the anaesthesia room cordoned off before his arrival.
Family demands transparency
Before Tarar’s confirmation, Imran’s sister Noreen Niazi raised concerns that the family and lawyers had not been kept informed. Writing on X on 29 January, she said that if reports of an overnight transfer to PIMS for eye treatment were true it was a “blatant crime”, and asked who the treatment was being hidden from and on whose orders. She demanded that Imran’s family, personal doctors and lawyers be allowed to meet him and that his complete medical reports be made public, calling her statement “a final warning”.
“Remember, if even the slightest harm comes to Imran Khan’s eye, this injustice will not be buried in silence. After that, no one else’s eyes will remain safe,” Niazi said.
Why it matters
The confirmation ends weeks of speculation about Imran’s health behind bars, but it has not settled the political dispute over his treatment. The government’s account describes a routine, medically recommended procedure carried out with the prisoner’s written consent, while PTI and Imran’s family say the secrecy surrounding the transfer and the withholding of medical reports raise serious questions. The episode keeps the condition and handling of Pakistan’s most prominent prisoner, already at the centre of a long-running confrontation between PTI and the federal government, in public view.
Sources & reporting notes
This is a synthesis of published material, not eyewitness reporting. Sources were reviewed on 30 January 2026.
- Dawn — Imran Khan underwent '20-minute medical procedure' at Islamabad's Pims, confirms info ministerPublished 29 January 2026 · Contemporaneous report carrying Information Minister Attaullah Tarar's confirmation, the details of the 24 January procedure, PTI's CRVO claim, the IHC petition, the PIMS doctor's account and Noreen Niazi's statement.
