Imran Khan pained by cruel treatment of wife in prison during rare Eid call to son, accuses Pakistan of blackmailing him

This marks Imran Khan’s first public message since concerns emerged over his deteriorating eyesight.

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has raised serious concerns over the “inhumane treatment” of his wife Bushra Bibi in prison, alleging that authorities are using her to “blackmail” him.

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has been incarcerated since August 5, 2023 (HT_PRINT)

In a rare phone call with his son Kasim Khan over the Eid weekend, Khan issued a strongly worded statement criticising Pakistan’s judiciary. The remarks were later relayed publicly by Kasim, who spoke to his father on Saturday.

This marks Khan’s first public message since concerns emerged over his deteriorating eyesight. The former cricketer-turned-politician has been undergoing treatment and received his third round of eye injections on Monday.

“The judges in this country should be ashamed of themselves. Time and again we have gone to the judiciary, but they have sold their souls for personal gain,” Khan said in the statement, as reported in The Independent.

“They know they cannot break me, so they turn to my wife. How can they allow this inhumane treatment of Bushra Bibi, simply to blackmail me?”

Khan and Bibi are currently serving prison sentences in corruption cases linked to a property trust and the alleged acquisition of luxury gifts. In December 2024, both were handed fresh sentences in a separate case, further extending their jail terms.

Bibi has been lodged in Adiala Jail since January, with Khan alleging that she is being kept in near-total isolation.

“She is kept in complete isolation, except for 30 minutes with me per week — and even that is often denied,” he claimed.

Khan himself has been imprisoned since August 2023, following his removal from office through a parliamentary motion.

Amid mounting health concerns, he was taken for another round of treatment for vision loss in his right eye earlier this week before being shifted back to Adiala Jail.

According to a doctor cited by Dawn, Khan has now completed a three-dose treatment cycle, with a fourth injection unlikely.

His legal team had earlier revealed that he has lost nearly 85 per cent vision in his right eye.

The issue has drawn international attention, with 14 former cricketers — including Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev — urging Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to ensure Khan is treated with “dignity and basic human consideration.”