Chandra Muzaffar || 20 February 2026
In the midst of all the earth-shaking events occurring in the planet at the moment, there is a major political crisis that revolves around an individual which has serious implications for humanity as a whole. This is the imperiled situation confronting the former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan who has been a political prisoner in his country since August 2023. He is languishing in the Adiela jail in Rawalpindi. It is now medically confirmed that his eyesight has been deteriorating in recent months. He is left with 15 % vision in his right eye.
According to a detailed 7 page report submitted to the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) by a barrister at the request of the SCP on the 12th of February 2026, it is alleged that Imran Khan “ suffered rapid and substantial vision loss over the past three months while in custody under former jail superintendent, Abdul Ghafoor Najum who was transferred in the middle of January 2026. Despite repeated complains of persistent blurred and hazy vision “no action was taken by the jail authorities to address the complaint.”
The report prepared by Talman Gafdar in his capacity as amicus curiae ( friend of the court) was based on a two hour interview he had with Imran Khan on 10th February. Imran subsequently suffered a sudden and complete loss of vision in his right eye. A medical report diagnosed his condition as right central retinal vein occlusion. An ophthalmologist from a leading government hospital in Islamabad was consulted and confirmed the diagnosis that a blood clot could have caused severe retinal damage.
From both legal and medical principles, the well-being of a political prisoner should be accorded the highest priority. As a former political prisoner in my own country Malaysia way back in October – December 1987, I can attest to the importance that a civilized government would attach to the health of political prisoners. This is the first reason why both doctors and lawyers everywhere should be concerned about Imran Khan’s health in custody.
There are four other compelling reasons why he should be regarded as a global cause in the struggle for justice. One, let us not forget that he was a democratically elected leader who was ousted from power in 2022 by forces inside and outside the country who had no right whatsoever to do what they did to Imran. Two, it is now clearer than ever before that these forces feared Imran’s stance on some major regional and international issues. His sincere commitment to the establishment of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state was undoubtedly an issue which concerned both Israel and the United States of America and perhaps some of the Arab and Muslim states within and without West Asia. They would have preferred a leader who was willing to play the usual hypocritical game of “ supporting “ the Palestinian cause while conniving and colluding with Israel and the US. For them, an honest leader of the only nuclear armed Muslim majority country in the world prepared to stand up to the diabolical, despicable manipulations of a violent Israel working in tandem with an equally crude and aggressive US was a nightmare that could not be allowed to a become a reality. Three, there are powerful vested interests in the arms and energy industries that want the economics and politics of West Asia and the world to continue to be dominated by US and Israel. It is an arrangement that serves their profits and their power. An independent minded leader in the region with the charisma to mobilise and galvanise the people against these vested interests is the sort of threat that would go all out to crush in order to ensure that they remain at the apex forever!
Any wonder why Jeffrey Epstein viewed Imran Khan as “ dangerous.” Four, the manner in which the ruling elite in Pakistan and its underlings have gone all out to fabricate charges against Imran and his wife should convince the doubters and fence-sitters that there must be something in the man that provokes the Establishment to seek to destroy him with such furious determination. For those of us who believe in truth and justice that itself should persuade us that Imran Khan is a cause worth every ounce of our strength.
The reckless attempt to wreck Imran’s health appears to have failed for the time being. But he is still incarcerated. This why the noble struggle to free him from jail and to restore his rightful role as the leader of the people’s movement in Pakistan has to continue.
Now that we know why his role has a much wider and larger significance that goes beyond Pakistan’s shores , we have to get all segments of society to strive together for first his release and then to enable him to play his role as the figure who at this juncture of history will bring people from all walks of life and from different cultural and religious backgrounds and from all nationalities together in a united movement to end the injustices and hegemony, imperialism and racism that have plagued the human family for so long.
Only then will it be possible for us to achieve a just world where the dignity of all creation is manifested through our deeds for now and forever!
Dr Chandra Muzaffar is the president of the International Movement for a Just World (JUST), an international NGO based in Malaysia, which seeks to critique global injustice and to develop an alternative vision of a just and compassionate civilisation guided by universal spiritual and moral values. He has published extensively on civilizational dialogue, international politics, religion, human rights and Malaysian society.
