- Lara says respect for Imran is “instant and lasting”
- “Imran not being treated with dignity he deserves.”
- Lara stresses his appeal was not politically motivated.
Former West Indies batting great Brian Lara has voiced support for former Pakistan captain and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, calling for him to receive “proper, independent medical care” and the dignity he deserves.
In a post on his official Instagram handle, Lara said he had only crossed paths with Imran a handful of times on the cricket field, but the respect he developed for the former Pakistan captain was “instant and lasting”.
“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 said.
He said he stood with his fellow former captains in calling for Khan to receive proper and independent medical care. “I stand with my fellow former captains in asking that he receive proper, independent medical care and the dignity every human being deserves,” he said.
Lara stressed that his appeal was not politically motivated, saying: “This isn’t politics. It’s basic humanity for a legend of our game.”
His statement comes weeks after twenty-one former international cricket captains renewed their appeal to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for the medical treatment of incarcerated PTI founder, in line with the Supreme Court’s directives, ESPN Cricinfo reported.
A three-member SC bench on August 18 ordered Adiala jail authorities to transfer Khan, 73, who has remained in prison since August 2023 following convictions in several cases, to Shifa Hospital for medical assessment and treatment within two days.
However, he was taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), where doctors from Shifa International Hospital were also present, according to Information Minister Attaullah Tarar. He said Imran’s medical examination was conducted in the presence of his sister and his doctors.
Tarar said a team of qualified doctors, including an ophthalmologist, cardiologist and physician, conducted a detailed medical examination and declared Imran “medically fit”.
Following the government’s move, the party filed a contempt petition in the Supreme Court over the alleged violation of its order concerning the party founder’s hospital transfer.
Cricketer-turned-politician Khan, 73, 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.
