Pakistan Supreme Court Directs Authorities to Shift Imran Khan From Jail to Hospital Over Health Concerns

Pakistan’s Supreme Court has ordered authorities to transfer jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan to Islamabad’s Shifa International Hospital for a medical evaluation amid growing concerns over his health, Dawn reported. A three-member bench led by Justice Shahid Wahid, with Justices Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Ishtiaq Ibrahim, issued the directive while hearing Khan’s petition seeking hospitalisation.

The court also ordered authorities to allow Khan to meet his family members every week and directed the formation of a medical board that would include his personal physician and sister, Uzma Khan. At the same time, Khan’s lawyers and family were instructed not to release his medical reports to the media or turn his health condition into a political issue.

The ruling came a day after the superintendent of Adiala Jail, where Khan has been imprisoned since August 2023, submitted a report on his health to the Supreme Court. Former Pakistan President Arif Alvi also raised concerns, describing Khan’s medical condition as alarming. In a post on X, Alvi cited anxiety, high blood pressure and concerns over Khan’s heart rate, warning that prolonged isolation was affecting his physical health. He called for Khan to be shifted to a hospital and examined by an independent medical panel.

Concerns have intensified amid claims that Khan has been denied regular access to his family, lawyers and doctors. His sons, Sulaiman Khan and Kasim Khan, told CNN that they had not received updates about their father and alleged that neither relatives nor medical professionals had been allowed to meet him for months. The restrictions have further fueled protests by supporters of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), who have demanded his release as well as that of his wife, Bushra Bibi.

Khan has remained behind bars since 2023 after being convicted in multiple cases that his supporters describe as politically motivated. His imprisonment followed his removal as prime minister through a parliamentary no-confidence vote in 2022. His party and its leadership also faced significant restrictions during the 2024 general elections, intensifying accusations of a broader crackdown on the opposition.