Seven ex-Australian captains urge govt to raise concerns over Imran Khan’s imprisonment

Penny Wong, Australia’s minister of foreign affairs, has been approached by seven former Australian cricket captains to voice humanitarian concerns over former Pakistani skipper Imran Khan’s imprisonment.

According to ESPN Cricinfo, a digital media platform providing cricket news and analysis, Allan Border, Greg Chappell, Ian Chappell, Belinda Clark, Kim Hughes, Mark Taylor, and Steve Waugh are the signatories of the letter addressed to the minister. They have made it clear that they are writing “not as diplomats or political figures, but as former captains who felt compelled to speak up.”

The letter states that “the group makes clear it takes no position on the legal or political case against Mr. Khan” and that Pakistan only should decide in this regard. They describe it as “a matter of basic humanity, whatever their politics” and state that they are concerned about how anyone in jail is treated.

The new letter surfaces less than a month after 21 former international cricket captains, including Michael Atherton, Allan Border, Sunil Gavaskar, Adam Gilchrist, Kapil Dev and Steve Waugh, had written to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, urging the government to ensure the completion of a Supreme Court-directed medical assessment of former prime minister Imran and honour orders regarding his family visits.

In a letter dated August 23, the former captains had said they were writing for a second time regarding Imran’s medical treatment and welfare, following an earlier appeal by 14 former international captains six months ago.

The signatories said they were joined by seven additional former captains after what they described as recent developments concerning Imran’s medical examination.

The development comes after the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) alleged that the government violated a categorical order of the Supreme Court by taking the incarcerated former prime minister to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) instead of Shifa International Hospital for treatment.

The party also said that Imran’s personal physician, Dr Faisal Sultan, was also not allowed to examine him during the recent medical checkup.

Meanwhile, PTI founding chairman’s family, political party and former fellow cricketers have been sounding the alarm over his health in prison.