Brian Lara joins calls for independent medical care for jailed Imran Khan

West Indies batting great Brian Lara on Saturday joined an international appeal for proper medical treatment and dignified conditions for imprisoned former Pakistan captain and prime minister Imran Khan, saying the issue was one of “basic humanity”, rather than politics. Last month, 22 international cricketers, including 21 ex-captains, wrote a letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appealing for the ex-premier’s medical treatment in line with recent Supreme Court directives. The letter’s signatories included Michael Atherton, Alex Blackwell, Allan Border, Michael Brearley and Greg Chappell, among others. In a statement posted on his official Instagram account, Lara said he and Imran had crossed paths only a handful of times on the cricket field, but the respect he had for the 1992 World Cup-winning captain was “instant and lasting”. View this post on Instagram “I am struggling to understand how someone who was once a beacon of hope, pride and inspiration for his country, at the height of his sporting career, could now find himself in a situation where he is not being cared for and treated with the compassion and dignity he deserves,” Lara wrote. He said he stood with fellow former international captains in calling for Imran to be provided with “proper, independent medical care and the dignity every human being deserves”. “This isn’t politics. It’s basic humanity for a legend of our game,” Lara said. Imran has been in jail since August 2023, convicted in a string of cases that he says were politically driven following his ouster in a 2022 parliamentary vote. There has been much ado over his health in recent months, with him having been taken to the hospital multiple times for an eye ailment — right central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) — that came to light in late January. Meanwhile, his party, the PTI, and the government have been engaged in a blame game, with the former accusing the latter of a lack of transparency in not ensuring appropriate treatment for Imran. On August 18, the Supreme Court directed the government to move Imran to Islamabad’s Shifa International Hospital, a private facility, within two days for examination and treatment by a multidisciplinary medical board. However, it later turned out that Imran was instead taken to the government-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims). Meanwhile, it was also reported that he could not undergo a recommended computed tomography angiography (CTA) at Pims as the required facilities were unavailable at the hospital.

Legendary West Indies batter Brian Lara on Saturday joined former cricketers in seeking proper medical treatment for jailed former Pakistan captain and Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Legendary West Indies batter Brian Lara on Saturday joined former cricketers in seeking proper medical treatment for jailed former Pakistan captain and Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Brian Lara and Pat Cummins join former captains supporting Imran Khan's treatment. They are calling for independent medical assessments and humane care. Concerns focus on Khan's reported vision problems while in custody. Khan denies corruption charges, which supporters claim are politically motivated. This appeal highlights basic humanity for a respected cricket legend.

Former West Indies batting great Brian Lara has joined fellow cricket legends Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar in calling for proper medical care for former Pakistan captain Imran Khan. Lara urged authorities to ensure that Khan receives “proper, independent medical care” along with the dignity he deserves. His appeal comes amid a continuing dispute over the treatment of the incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder. View this post on Instagram Lara joins Gavaskar, Kapil Dev in appealIn a post on his official Instagram handle, Lara said he had crossed paths with Imran only a handful of times on the cricket field. Despite their limited encounters, he said the respect he developed for the former Pakistan captain was “instant and lasting”. Lara said he was struggling to understand how a former sporting icon could now find himself in a situation where he was not being treated with compassion and dignity.“I stand with my fellow former captains in asking that he receive proper, independent medical care and the dignity every human being deserves,” Lara said. He made it clear that his appeal was not driven by politics or any political affiliation. “This isn't politics. It's basic humanity for a legend of our game,” he added.Lara’s intervention adds another prominent voice from the cricketing world to calls for Khan’s medical care. Alongside former captains such as Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar, his remarks highlight the concern among cricket figures over the treatment of one of the sport’s most celebrated former leaders.'I Have Not Heard That Thing': Pakistan Captain Babar Azam Breaks Silence On Imran Khan Sons' Interview Row | VideoWhy is Imran Khan in jail?Imran Khan is in jail because he has been convicted in multiple legal cases, most prominently the Al-Qadir Trust (land corruption) case, although several of his earlier convictions have been overturned, suspended or are under appeal. He and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party maintain that the cases are politically motivated, while Pakistani authorities say they are criminal and corruption proceedings.