Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram has urged authorities to give Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and World Cup-winning captain Imran Khan “fair treatment”.
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.
Akram told the ‘Old Boys, New Balls’ podcast co-hosted by another ex-England captain, Ian Botham: “We would like to thank all the captains that recently signed a petition for Imran.
“I feel for skipper, I miss him as a friend, I miss him as a mentor, we miss him as a leader. We haven’t seen his picture for three years,” added outstanding left-arm fast bowler Akram, a key member of the Pakistan team led by Khan that won the 1992 World Cup.
“What we want from this government is to give him fair treatment, like other politicians had before.
“Fingers are crossed, Insha’Allah [God willing] the whole nation is behind him and he’ll be out [soon].”
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.
Following his retirement from cricket, Khan went into politics and was prime minister of Pakistan from 2018 to 2022. But he was removed in a no-confidence vote during a political crisis. He has since faced multiple legal cases on corruption and other charges.
Khan and his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, maintain that the cases against him are politically motivated.
