Former Pakistan captain Javed Miandad has joined the list of former cricketers to stand in support of incarcerated Imran Khan. Miandad is the first former Pakistan cricketer to come out in the open and call for his former colleague’s release as reports of Khan’s worsening health surfaced.
Khan’s worsening health
Former Pakistan captain and prime minister Imran Khan, who has been incarcerated since August 2023, was recently allowed by the country’s Supreme Court to be examined by a panel of doctors of his own choosing.
While Khan was transferred out of jail to be taken to Shifa Hospital as per court orders, he was instead taken to PIMS, where a medical panel declared him medically fit. Khan was taken back to jail after just hours at the hospital.
“I pray that what’s going on with him gets resolved, because he does not deserve this,” a teary Miandad said as he spoke to the Narratives podcast. “What’s being done to him is not right. It’s unnecessary. He has a family too.
“I think about it all the time, what he must be doing [in prison], what he must be thinking of. We were so close. We used to be together and think so much of each other. We took Pakistan to such new heights. I can’t help but feel so sad about it.”
Khan’s health has reportedly worsened in prison, with a recent eye infection claimed by his legal team to have drastically affected his vision. His legal team has said that the infection left him with only 15 per cent vision, amid allegations of inadequate medical care.
Last week, 22 former international captains requested the government, in what was their second letter to Pakistan’s prime minister, to ensure that the court order is carried out to its full extent and that Imran is allowed an examination by a medical board, including his own personal doctors.
Earlier reports also suggested that Khan was denied family visits and was virtually being held in solitary confinement, adding to concerns over his health. The government, however, has denied allegations of mistreatment and said he has continued to receive medical care.
Miandad’s playing days with Imran Khan
Miandad recalled his playing days with Imran Khan, which made up a good part of Pakistan’s golden days. He was also part of the side that lifted the ODI World Cup in 1992 under Khan, the first and only World Cup Pakistan have won to date. Besides leading Pakistan through one of their best eras, Miandad and Imran played for Sussex together, which the former said made their bond even stronger.
“There was no rivalry between me and Imran. There was no fight between us. I’ve never complained that Imran wronged me in any way. I had a great career which I am very thankful for. Imran and I played county cricket together too; we were together for more than half the year, either in county cricket or with Pakistan. We had a great time together.”
Khan, who will soon turn 74, was ousted as Pakistan’s prime minister in 2022 after the National Assembly passed a no-confidence motion against him with 174 votes. The vote removed him from office and made him the first Pakistani prime minister to be ousted through a vote of no confidence. He was subsequently arrested in 2023 and has since faced multiple convictions and prison sentences, including terms of 10, 14 and 17 years in separate cases.
“There’s so much respect in the world for Imran,” Miandad said. “He has given Pakistan so much. We should think about that. We need to bury the hatchet. He’s a former prime minister… God forbid, if something happens to him in jail, all of Pakistan will weep. And at that time, they will all ask why they did this to Imran.
“Just release him, what difference does it make to you? If something like this can happen to one of us, we’ll all be upset. If something like this is happening to my brother, of course I’ll be upset.”
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