Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan was taken from Adiala Jail to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad in the early hours of Friday, only to be sent back to prison within a few hours after doctors said he could safely remain in custody, Geo News and Dawn reported.
What the Supreme Court Had Ordered
The transfer followed a Supreme Court order issued on Tuesday by a three-member bench headed by Justice Shahid Waheed. The bench directed jail authorities to shift the former prime minister to Shifa International Hospital within two days for medical assessment, and ruled that he should remain there under a medical panel, including his personal physician Dr Faisal Sultan and his sister Dr Uzma Khan, until the next hearing on September 16.
The court also ordered that Khan be allowed weekly family meetings and twice weekly phone calls with his sons, and directed authorities to submit his complete medical record. According to Dawn, a two-page report submitted earlier by the Adiala Jail superintendent listed 39 medical check-ups carried out on Khan between November 2023 and August this year.
The federal government had filed a review petition against the transfer order, but the Supreme Court’s registrar office returned it on Thursday morning over what were described as procedural objections, according to Dawn.
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A Brief, Heavily Guarded Transfer
Khan was moved from Adiala Jail’s Gate No 1 shortly after midnight under a heavy police and Rangers escort, with roads leading to the hospital sealed off and additional security deployed around the facility, Geo News reported. Islamabad Inspector General of Police Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi visited the hospital ahead of Khan’s arrival to review the arrangements.
Once at Shifa International, Khan was examined by a six-member team of specialist doctors. Following the check-up, the doctors concluded that he could safely remain in prison, and he was driven back to Adiala Jail and returned to his cell before dawn, according to Geo News and Reuters, which cited PTI and jail sources.
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PTI Says the Court’s Order Was Violated
PTI has argued that the Supreme Court’s order meant Khan should have stayed under medical supervision until the September 16 hearing, not been returned to jail after a few hours. The party has said it will file a contempt petition over what it called a clear violation of the court’s directive.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Khan was taken back to Adiala Jail once doctors cleared him, and maintained that the government has followed due legal process throughout. Officials have previously said Khan’s medical reports do not point to any condition that requires immediate hospital treatment.
What Happens Next
The government is expected to refile its review petition against the transfer order after addressing the objections raised by the registrar’s office. The underlying dispute over Khan’s access to independent medical care, an issue his party has linked to the wider standoff between PTI and the government, remains unresolved. The Supreme Court is next scheduled to take up the matter on September 16.
Khan, 73, has been in Adiala Jail since August 2023 after being convicted in a case involving the sale of state gifts, a charge he and his party have consistently described as politically motivated.
