Pakistan’s imprisoned former prime minister and cricket captain, Imran Khan, should be given “humane therapy and correct medical care”, urge a bunch of cricket greats in a letter seen by Al Jazeera and addressed to Pakistan’s present Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Twenty-one former captains from world wide have appealed to Sharif’s authorities to permit an unbiased evaluation of Khan’s well being, reinstate his weekly household visits and supply him with the required medical therapy at once, 4 signatories of the letter confirmed to Al Jazeera late on Sunday.
Khan, 73, has been imprisoned for the previous three years on a spread of expenses.
On Tuesday, Pakistan’s Supreme Court docket ordered native authorities to switch Khan from Adiala jail to the privately run Shifa International Hospital by midnight on Thursday. Nonetheless on Saturday, Khan’s celebration, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), filed a contempt petition towards the federal government after he was despatched to a state-run hospital as an alternative of the personal facility ordered by the highest courtroom, celebration officers mentioned.
Khan is extensively thought to be one of many world’s greatest-ever all-rounders and arguably Pakistan’s biggest cricketer, who led his nation to its first World Cup win in 1992 and holds the file for many worldwide wins for a Pakistani captain.
Khan’s former cricket adversaries turned pals mentioned the latest occasions prompted them to pen a letter to Sharif, who changed the PTI founder as prime minister in April 2022 and once more after Pakistan’s final common election in February 2024.
The letter, dated August 23, follows similar outreach in February by 14 former worldwide cricket captains who raised considerations over Khan’s deteriorating well being and alleged mistreatment throughout his imprisonment.
“We wrote then not as politicians, however as former colleagues and rivals who share a bond solid on the cricket area — one which transcends the borders and disputes that too usually divide nations,” mentioned the letter.
“We write once more now — joined by seven additional former captains — due to what has reportedly simply occurred,” learn the letter, whose signatories embody cricket Corridor of Famers Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Clive Lloyd, Allan Border, Greg Chappell, Ian Chappell, John Wright and David Gower.
No Pakistani names amongst signatories
Greg Chappell, who shared a pleasant bond with Khan following their retirement from cricket, initiated the letter on each events.
Lloyd advised Al Jazeera on Sunday that he contributed to the letter. Former England captains David Gower, Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton additionally confirmed signing it.
Notably, no former Pakistani cricketers have been among the many signatories of each letters, though a number of star gamers have publicly voiced considerations over Khan’s well being previously.
Gavaskar, Dev and Dilip Vengsarkar are the three Indian gamers among the many 21, whereas former Sri Lanka captain, Arjuna Ranatunga, is the opposite South Asian title.
Former Australian ladies’s crew captains Alex Blackwell and Belinda Clark are additionally on the listing of signatories.
The letter praised the “welcome steps” of the Supreme Court docket ordering Khan’s switch to a non-public hospital for medical examination by a board that included private physicians and his sister, Dr Uzma Khan.
The signatories requested the federal government that:
- The medical board directed by the Supreme Court docket — together with Khan’s personal docs — be permitted to finish a full and unbiased evaluation of his well being, notably the reported lack of imaginative and prescient in his proper eye.
- The weekly household visits reinstated by the courtroom be honoured with out interruption or administrative delay.
- Regardless of the end result of that medical evaluation, the therapy beneficial by or not it’s supplied at once.
The previous cricketers lamented Khan’s short-lived hospital go to. They reiterated the considerations raised by his household, who mentioned the examination by a state-appointed crew and swift return after being declared “medically match” fell in need of what the Supreme Court docket ordered.
“Regardless of the authorized and political arguments surrounding his case, the fundamental decency of guaranteeing a court-ordered medical course of is definitely accomplished shouldn’t be, in our view, a controversial request,” the letter mentioned.
“It’s one we imagine each nation that performs this sport would recognise as honest.”
The Pakistan authorities didn’t reply to Al Jazeera’s request for a remark.
Full listing of signatories: Michael Atherton, Alex Blackwell, Allan Border, Michael Brearley, Greg Chappell, Ian Chappell, Belinda Clark, Alastair Prepare dinner, Sunil Gavaskar, Lee Germon, Adam Gilchrist, David Gower, Kim Hughes, Nasser Hussain, Clive Lloyd, Kapil Dev Nikhanj, Deshamanya Arjuna Ranatunga, Sir Andrew Strauss, Dilip Vengsarkar, Stephen Waugh, John Wright.
Chappell praises Khan’s charisma and energy
Following the primary enchantment made to the Pakistani authorities in February, Greg Chappell wrote and spoke about his bond with Khan and what prompted him to take the lead in writing the letter.
He mentioned that the letter was meant to spotlight a human rights problem relatively than be a political intervention and admitted being pleasantly shocked at how shortly it got here collectively since everybody was in the identical boat.
“This appears to have had some actual influence,” Chappell mentioned as he emphasised the necessity for the primary letter to have “long-lasting influence” relatively than fizzle out within the subsequent information cycle.
The previous Australian captain praised the charisma Khan wielded each on the sector as a cricketer and later when he entered politics.
“Individuals have been threatened by somebody like Imran due to his aura, private energy and appeal,” he advised the Cricket Et Al podcast in February.
“They have been threatened by him and clearly that’s performed its half on this.”
