ISLAMABAD: Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s vision has “improved remarkably,” the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) said on Tuesday, following an examination after he received an intravitreal injection amid concerns related to his eyesight.

Khan, 74, has been held at Adiala jail since August 2023 in cases that he and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party say are politically motivated. His health has become an increasingly sensitive political issue in recent weeks, particularly after a lawyer informed Pakistan’s Supreme Court that his vision in one eye had significantly deteriorated while in custody.

The ex-premier has reportedly been receiving treatment for retinal vein occlusion, a condition caused by blocked veins draining blood from the retina that can lead to vision loss.

In a statement issued last night, PIMS said Khan had been examined at Adiala Prison on Mar. 3 by a medical board comprising two senior doctors, one of them heading its ophthalmology department and the other heading the vitreoretinal department at Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital.

“This examination was performed as a follow-up of his second dose of intravitreal injection of anti VEGF,” it added. “The board concluded that his vision has improved remarkably which is substantially good vision at this stage.”

Anti-VEGF injections are commonly used to treat retinal vein occlusion and other retinal vascular disorders by reducing swelling and abnormal blood vessel growth inside the eye.

The statement highlighted that both Khan’s eyes were examined for “visual acuity, fundoscopy, slit lamp examination and Optical coherence tomography” during the examination.

It added that the board recommended continuing care and treatment as previously advised.

Last month, Khan was taken to PIMS for a second eye injection and was discharged in stable condition, while his party questioned the transparency of the medical update and demanded independent access to his care.

Khan was removed from office in April 2022 through a parliamentary vote of no confidence that he says was orchestrated at the behest of the former administration in Washington by his political rivals with backing from the military. His allegation is denied by all parties involved.

Since his imprisonment, Khan has faced multiple convictions and ongoing legal proceedings that authorities say follow due process, while his party describes them as efforts to sideline him from politics.