The executive director of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), Professor Dr Rana Imran Sikander, revealed early on Saturday that the eye procedure of incarcerated former premier Imran Khan was completed “smoothly” and that he remained “stable” during the intervention.

The video statement by the hospital’s head comes after the PTI approached the Supreme Court on Friday, seeking its assistance in arranging a meeting between the PTI founder and his personal physicians, with the help of the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP).

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar had earlier confirmed that Imran underwent a “20-minute” medical procedure for an eye ailment on the night of January 24 at Pims in Islamabad.

“It (the procedure) was completed smoothly in approximately 20 minutes. During the treatment, the patient remained vitally stable and was discharged with routine post-procedure care instructions and follow-up advice and documents,” said Sikander.

The doctor said the former premier, aged 74, complained of “reduced vision in his right eye”, adding that a “qualified ophthalmologist” from the hospital conducted a “complete eye assessment at Adiala jail”.

Sikander elaborated that the doctor dispatched to the prison conducted “strict lab examination, [ocular] endoscopy, intraocular pressure measurement, essential laboratory tests and OCT of the retina”.

He added that based on the initial assessment, the diagnosis of right central vein occlusion was made and a hospital-based treatment was recommended.

“Accordingly, Mr Niazi was brought to Pims on the night of last Saturday, Sunday for the advised procedure.”

The head of the hospital said Imran, after arrival at Pims, was “explained in full” about the procedure.

“Informed consent was obtained from the patient prior to the procedure. The procedure was carried out in the operation theatre under standard sterile protocol and monitoring,” said Dr Sikander.

Imran’s eye condition and ‘secret transfer’ to Pims

On January 28, the PTI had raised concerns about Imran’s health, saying it had learned through credible reports that he had been diagnosed with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) in his right eye, which could cause permanent eyesight damage if not treated promptly.

The party had alleged that the jail administration was insisting that the treatment be provided inside the prison, contrary to a medical expert’s advice to take him to a hospital.

The next day, a report, quoting a senior doctor at Pims, said Imran was brought to the hospital under strict security on the night of January 24 for a medical procedure, which was “completed when the time reached in the A.M.”.

The doctor said there was “extraordinary movement” on Saturday night, and the operation theatres and the anaesthesia room were cordoned off ahead of Imran’s arrival at Pims.

On Thursday, the information minister confirmed that the PTI founder underwent a medical procedure for an eye ailment at Pims on the night of January 24. He said it was a “20-minute” procedure and that the ex-premier was “absolutely healthy”.

Subsequently, the PTI condemned the act of “secretly transferring” Imran to Pims, deliberately keeping his family and the party leadership uninformed, and denying him access to personal physicians.

The Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayin-i-Pakistan (TTAP) also termed Imran’s transfer to the hospital without the knowledge of his family and personal physicians a “criminal negligence”.

Imran’s sister, Noreen Niazi, who had earlier raised doubts about his brother’s ailment, reiterated concerns that his family and lawyers were not being kept informed and demanded that his medical reports be made public.

Then on Friday, the PTI staged a day-long protest outside the Supreme Court, following which it said the ex-premier’s family would be provided a copy of his medical report.