Pakistan Supreme Court Orders Hospital Transfer for Imran Khan

Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered former Prime Minister Imran Khan transferred from Adiala Jail to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad for medical assessment and treatment.

Justice Shahid Waheed led the three-judge bench, joined by Justices Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Ishtiaq Ibrahim. Khan is to remain hospitalized until the court’s next hearing on Sept. 16, according to Geo News.

Khan’s lawyer and spokesperson Naeem Haider Panjutha said authorities were given 48 hours to carry out the transfer, Reuters reported. Other courtroom accounts said the arrangements must be completed within the next few days.

The court ordered a medical board of specialists and one of Khan’s personal physicians to assess and treat him. His sister, Dr. Uzma Khan, will be associated with the board or present during the examination. Khan’s family will pay for his treatment.

The ruling also provides for weekly family meetings and telephone calls with Khan’s sons. Authorities must give the court his complete medical records rather than a summary.

Khan’s family and lawyers were told to keep his medical report confidential and not use it for political purposes. Political gatherings, news conferences and media appearances outside the hospital were also prohibited. The judges stressed that hospital operations and other patients must not be disrupted.

A report submitted by the Adiala Jail superintendent summarized 39 examinations conducted between Nov. 4, 2023, and Aug. 10. The latest examination recorded Khan’s blood pressure at 140/80, his pulse at 54 and anxiety at “+++,” according to The Nation.

His ECG was described as normal, with no significant abnormality involving his heart valves or chambers. Other records noted fluctuating blood pressure, palpitations, headaches and restlessness. Doctors recommended more frequent contact with immediate family members to help manage his anxiety.

Khan’s lawyers previously said he had suffered significant vision loss in his right eye. Jail authorities disputed the current extent of the problem, reporting that treatment for central retinal vein occlusion had restored his sight to almost normal.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) welcomed the decision of the court and requested its supporters not to gather outside the hospital. Party spokesperson Zulfikar Bukhari stated that the transfer decision should have been taken long ago.

Khan, 73, has been imprisoned since August 2023. He has faced multiple cases since his removal in a no-confidence vote in 2022, including cases involving state gifts and an unlawful-marriage accusation. Khan and his wife were acquitted in the marriage case in July 2024.