ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has directed authorities to move incarcerated PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan from Adiala jail to Shifa International Hospital for medical evaluation and treatment until the next hearing on September 16.
A three-member bench headed by Justice Shahid Waheed, with Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim, issued the interim order while hearing petitions concerning Khan’s medical treatment and meetings with his family.
The court ordered the formation of a specialised medical board to examine and treat the former prime minister. It further directed that his sister, Dr Uzma Khan, and personal physician be present during the medical assessment and treatment, with the family responsible for the associated expenses.
Authorities have been instructed to make the necessary arrangements and ensure Khan’s transfer under strict security without creating any law-and-order situation around the hospital.
The bench also directed that Khan’s medical condition and treatment should not be used for political purposes and warned that failure to comply with its directions could lead to withdrawal of the facilities currently available to him.
SC seeks complete medical record
During the proceedings, the court ordered authorities to submit Khan’s complete medical history instead of the summary previously provided by Adiala jail authorities.
The jail’s two-page report had detailed 39 medical examinations conducted by different specialists between November 2023 and August 10, 2026. It also mentioned treatment Khan received for central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO), stating that vision in the affected eye had almost returned to normal.
Justice Shahid Waheed questioned why the complete medical record had not been submitted and sought all relevant reports before the next hearing.
The bench also discussed recommendations for further cardiac assessment, including angiography. The Islamabad advocate general told the court that such a procedure could be carried out at a hospital outside the prison.
PTI’s counsel sought permission for Khan’s sister and personal doctors to participate in his medical assessment, while the court noted that government-appointed specialists had already examined him.
Court addresses family meetings
The Supreme Court also examined restrictions on meetings between Khan and his sisters.
Justice Waheed said meetings with family members were a fundamental right rather than a concession and questioned the authorities about restrictions on such visits.
The government informed the bench that Khan had met his sisters 48 times over the past three years. The court ordered authorities to provide complete records of those meetings, as well as details of his communication with his sons, including call data records.
The bench further sought comprehensive information about Khan’s pending and decided cases, including those in which he was an under-trial prisoner, convicted or had his sentence suspended.
PTI lawyers assured the court that Khan’s family and party representatives would not hold media interactions after meeting him. Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan also urged PTI leaders not to politicise the former premier’s health.
Government vows to implement order
Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said the government would comply with the Supreme Court’s decision in letter and spirit.
He maintained that the government had no authority to release a prisoner convicted by a court and said matters relating to Khan’s release, medical treatment and other legal issues were for the judiciary to decide.
Chaudhry said the government had no personal dispute with the PTI founder and wished him good health, adding that authorities had continued to provide him with appropriate medical facilities.
PTI welcomes decision
The PTI welcomed the Supreme Court’s directive, describing the order for Khan’s transfer and the creation of a specialist medical board as a positive development.
The party called for specialists in ophthalmology, cardiology and other relevant fields to be included in the board and urged that Dr Faisal Sultan and Dr Uzma Khan also be involved in the medical assessment.
PTI leadership also appealed to party workers and supporters not to gather outside Shifa International Hospital, stressing that a peaceful environment was necessary for Khan’s treatment.
The Supreme Court has summoned Adiala jail officials to the next hearing and directed authorities to submit Khan’s complete medical record, meeting details from the past three years and information regarding his communications with his sons.
The case will be taken up again on September 16.
