LONDON: West Indies cricket legend Brian Lara has joined an international appeal calling for former Pakistan captain and prime minister Imran Khan to receive appropriate medical care and be treated with dignity.
In a statement shared on his official Instagram account, Lara said Imran Khan should have access to proper, independent medical care and the dignity every human being deserves.
Lara said he had only met or competed against Imran Khan a few times during their cricket careers, but his respect for the Pakistan captain who led the country to its 1992 World Cup triumph was immediate and lasting.
The former West Indies batter said he struggled to understand how someone who had once represented hope, pride and inspiration for his country at the peak of his sporting career could now find himself in circumstances where he was allegedly not receiving the compassion and dignity he deserved.
Lara said he stood with former international captains calling for appropriate and independent medical treatment for Imran Khan, stressing that the matter was not about politics but basic humanity and the treatment of a cricketing legend.
22 Former Cricketers Appeal for Imran Khan
Last month, 22 international cricketers, including 21 former captains, reportedly wrote to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urging that Imran Khan be provided with medical treatment.
The letter called for medical care in accordance with recent directions from Pakistan’s Supreme Court.
Among the signatories were former international cricketers including Michael Atherton, Alex Blackwell, Allan Border, Mike Brearley and Greg Chappell.
Lara’s statement adds to the international cricket community’s calls for appropriate medical treatment and dignified conditions for the former Pakistan captain.
Concerns Over Imran Khan’s Health
Imran Khan has been in prison since August 2023 and has received convictions in several cases. He has described the cases against him as politically motivated following his removal as prime minister through a no-confidence vote in 2022.
There have also been reports in recent months concerning his health, including an issue affecting his right eye. The condition has been described as right central retinal vein occlusion (RVO), and he has reportedly been taken to hospital on several occasions.
Disagreements between Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and the government over his medical treatment have also continued.
Supreme Court Orders Medical Examination
On August 18, the Supreme Court directed the government to transfer Imran Khan to Islamabad’s Shifa International Hospital for medical examination and treatment.
The court reportedly directed that he be moved to the private hospital within two days, where a multidisciplinary medical board would assess and treat him.
However, Imran Khan was later taken to the government-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) instead of Shifa International.
It was subsequently reported that a recommended Computed Tomography Angiography (CTA) scan could not be conducted at PIMS because the required facility was not available.