Claim: A video shows Imran Khan in a wheelchair outside PIMS hospital Islamabad on 27 January 2026.
Fact: The claim is false. A comparison with footage shared in November 2022 indicates that the viral clip is likely from that time and is unrelated to Khan’s recent visit to PIMS in Islamabad.
On 27 January, a Facebook user shared a video of Imran Khan with the following caption:
“عمران خان کو اڈیالہ سے پمز ہسپتال شفٹ کیا جارہا ہے
سوشل میڈیا ذرائع”
[Translation: Imran Khan is being shifted from Adiala to PIMS Hospital.
Sources: social media.]
Imran Khan’s visit to PIMS
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan was taken to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad on 24 January for an eye-related procedure and returned early the next day. Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar confirmed that Khan was shifted to PIMS after eye specialists examined him at Adiala Jail and recommended further assessment and treatment.
The hospital visit was conducted under tight security, with operation theatres and anaesthesia rooms cordoned off. According to Tarar, PIMS doctors conducted a thorough examination and performed a minor procedure lasting around 20 minutes with Khan’s written consent. In a video message released on 30 January, the hospital’s executive director, Dr Rana Imran Sikandar, said a team of senior doctors had assessed Khan’s condition before discharging him, explaining that increased pressure in the vessels of his right eye had temporarily affected his vision.
Concerns about Khan’s vision have intensified in the weeks following his January hospital visit. In February, lawyers appearing before Pakistan’s Supreme Court said that Khan had suffered significant vision loss in his right eye prompting the court to order a detailed medical assessment. A medical board subsequently examined him at Adiala Jail, after which government‑appointed doctors reported some improvement in his eyesight, though Khan’s personal physician has stated he cannot verify those findings due to lack of access to the imprisoned former leader.
Khan’s family said it had “no trust” in the authorities. His sons have also sought visas to visit him. Aleema Khan, described it as “extremely concerning and unacceptable” that the government had resisted allowing Khan’s personal doctor and a family representative to be present during the examination and treatment.
Authorities have scheduled further specialised treatment, including additional eye injections at a hospital. Meanwhile, supporters and international figures, including former cricket captains, have called for better medical care and transparency regarding his condition.
The video in the claim appears to have circulated following this visit.
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check doubted the authenticity of the clip after several social media users claimed either that it was old or fabricated. We then reverse-searched keyframes from the video to trace its original source. While we were unable to locate the exact footage, the search led us to similar visuals of Imran Khan filmed from a different angle.
The first was a TikTok video published by Middle East Eye (MEE) on 7 November 2022. The caption stated: “Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was dismissed from the hospital three days after being shot in the leg during an attack on a protest march in Wazirabad. Khan welcomed the government’s offer to launch a probe into the shooting and said his protest march will continue.”
A frame-by-frame comparison revealed that the first clip in MEE’s TikTok video matches the sequence seen in the viral clip. Although the viral video appears to have been recorded from a different vantage point, Khan’s movements match, and the same people are visible around him in both videos.
Frame-by-frame comparison
Both videos show Khan’s wheelchair being pulled from behind. Additionally, a man wearing a white shirt with a black waistcoat, and another wearing a light blue shirt with a darker blue waistcoat and a red scarf around his neck, can be seen standing in the background in both videos. The similarities indicated that both footage capture the same event.
Soch Fact Check then conducted a keyword search to locate additional footage and contextual details surrounding the incident. On 4 November 2022, former prime minister Imran Khan was shot and injured during the ‘Haqeeqi Azadi’ march when it reached Allahwala Chowk in Wazirabad. Khan sustained multiple bullet wounds to his leg and was shifted to Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital in Lahore for treatment.
We found several news reports carrying images of Khan wearing blue hospital scrubs similar to those seen in the viral clip. According to a Reuters report published on 6 November 2022, Khan had said he welcomed the government’s offer to form a judicial commission to investigate the attack. The remarks were made in a live broadcast on social media from the hospital in Lahore, where he was receiving treatment. The PTI founder was taken to his residence in Zaman Park under tight security after leaving the hospital on 6 November, reported The Express Tribune.
Although news reports on the attack did not include the video in question, the details in these articles align with the caption and context provided in Middle East Eye’s TikTok post.
Virality
The viral clip was shared here, here, here, here, and here on Facebook. Archived here, here, here, here, and here.
On Instagram, it was shared here, here, and here. Archived here, here, and here.
On X, it was shared here (archive).
Conclusion: The viral video of Imran Khan in a wheelchair is not from his recent visit to PIMS.
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