Brian Lara Urges Proper Medical Care and Dignity for Imran Khan

West Indies batting legend Brian Lara has expressed concern over the health and humanitarian situation of former Pakistan prime minister and World Cup-winning captain Imran Khan. Lara has called for Imran to receive proper and independent medical care while being treated with the dignity he deserves.

Imran Khan served as Pakistan’s prime minister from 2018 to 2022. He has been held at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi since August 2023 and is serving prison sentences in several corruption-related cases. Imran and his political party have repeatedly denied the allegations against him.

Concerns over his health have intensified in recent weeks, bringing renewed attention to his condition in prison. Last month, 21 former international captains wrote to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif calling for appropriate medical treatment for Imran. Former captains from India, Australia, England, the West Indies and New Zealand were among those who signed the letter.

Lara publicly backed that appeal in a social media post on Saturday. The former West Indies captain said he struggled to understand how a man who once represented hope, pride and inspiration for Pakistan could now find himself in a situation where questions are being raised about his access to proper care, compassion and dignity.

Lara said he had met Imran several times during their playing careers but had maintained a deep respect for him ever since. According to Lara, Imran was an inspirational figure for Pakistan at the peak of his sporting career, making his current circumstances particularly difficult to understand.

The Caribbean great also expressed solidarity with the former captains who have been calling for better treatment of Imran. He urged the authorities to ensure that Imran receives appropriate and independent medical care and is treated with the dignity every human being deserves.

Lara stressed that his appeal was not about politics. Instead, he described it as a basic act of humanity towards a legend of the game.

The latest appeal follows a similar letter sent to the Pakistani government in February by 14 former captains. The earlier letter reportedly received no response, prompting a larger group of former international captains to renew the call.

Imran’s medical treatment has also become the subject of legal proceedings. Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered that he be taken to Shifa Hospital in Islamabad, but he was instead transferred to the government-run PIMS hospital. After undergoing medical examinations, he was returned to prison shortly afterwards.

The Pakistani government has rejected allegations that Imran has been mistreated in prison or prevented from meeting his family and lawyers. Officials have claimed that his family members, lawyers and doctors have visited him more than 900 times since his imprisonment in August 2023.

Imran remains one of the most influential figures in Pakistan’s cricket history. He played 88 Tests and 175 ODIs for Pakistan and led the country to its first ODI World Cup title in 1992.

Now, years after that historic triumph, another cricketing legend, Brian Lara, has joined calls for Imran to receive proper medical care and the dignity he deserves.