Former International Cricket Captains Appeal to Pakistan for Imran Khan's Medical Care
4 sources across 4 countries · Hong Kong · India · Pakistan · United Kingdom
Who reported this
- South China Morning Post
- The Indian Express
- Dawn
- BBC News
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
- A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.
Political lean describes where an outlet sits within the politics of its own country. It is never a position on a single global scale.
Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.
The owner of each outlet is listed as a matter of record, not as a judgement about the outlet.
A group of 21 former international cricket captains has written to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to request proper medical treatment for jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan. The signatories, which include Indian legends Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev, as well as former captains from England and Australia, expressed concern that a recent court ordered medical examination was not properly conducted. The group stated they are writing as former colleagues and rivals whose bond transcends national borders and political disputes.
The letter follows a Supreme Court order that Khan be transferred to a hospital for examination by a medical board, including his own physicians and his sister, Dr. Uzma Khan. However, reports indicate that Khan was taken to a government run facility, the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, rather than the private Shifa International Hospital directed by the court. The former captains noted that Khan's hospital stay lasted only a few hours, after which he was declared medically fit by a state appointed team and returned to Adiala Jail before the full board could complete its work.
The signatories made three specific requests: that the Supreme Court directed medical board be allowed to complete an independent assessment, particularly regarding Khan's reported loss of vision in his right eye; that weekly family visits be honored without delay; and that any recommended treatment be provided immediately. This marks the second such appeal in six months, following a February letter signed by 14 former captains.
Imran Khan, 73, has been in custody since August 2023. He has faced numerous charges and convictions, including corruption cases with sentences ranging from 10 to 17 years, as well as a seven year sentence regarding the timing of his marriage. While center and center right reports focus on the legal and medical specifics of the appeal, center left coverage emphasizes the political context, noting that Khan and his party, the PTI, claim the charges are politically motivated.
How each side framed it
- Centre-left
- Highlighted the political nature of the charges and the ongoing conflict between the government and the PTI party.
- Centre
- Presented the event as a humanitarian and procedural request for medical decency regardless of political arguments.
- Centre-right
- Focused on the specific legal orders of the Supreme Court and the factual details of the medical requests.
Sources
- Centre BBC News: Ex-cricket captains urge 'proper medical care' for Imran Khan
- Centre-left Dawn: Cricket greats appeal to PM Shehbaz for Imran's medical treatment in line with SC directives
- Centre-right South China Morning Post: Former cricket captains appeal to Pakistan over jailed ex-PM Imran Khan’s healthcare
- Centre The Indian Express: Gavaskar, Kapil, Vengsarkar among ex-captains writing again to Pakistan govt for Imran Khan
100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.