Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has been transferred to a private hospital in Islamabad for medical treatment. His party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), announced the midnight transfer from Adiala prison to Shifa International Hospital. This action followed a Supreme Court directive issued earlier this week.
The transfer comes after remarks from Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, a senior Cabinet minister, who affirmed the government’s intent to comply with the Supreme Court’s order. Chaudhry mentioned the possibility of considering overseas treatment if government facilities were inadequate.
The PTI provided minimal details on Khan’s transfer, leaving uncertainty about whether Khan would return to prison after medical evaluations. Both Khan’s party and family are advocating for his continued stay at the hospital.
This development coincided with Chaudhry’s efforts to seek clarity from the Supreme Court regarding the scope of the medical relief granted to Khan, questioning whether it was exclusive to him or applicable to other prisoners as well. The inquiry came two days after a Supreme Court panel ordered Khan’s examination by a medical board, which included specialists and one of his personal doctors, Faisal Sultan.
Chaudhry assured on X that the government will fully adhere to the Supreme Court’s decision, emphasizing that their clarification request was not meant to obstruct it in any way. Arrangements for Khan’s hospital transfer were made accordingly.
Local media reported that Khan, unseen publicly since his imprisonment in 2023 on graft charges, is now being assessed at the hospital. Typically, prisoners receive medical care within prison facilities unless critical conditions necessitate hospital transfers.
Health concerns for Khan, intensified in late January after his family claimed significant vision loss in his right eye. The government contested these claims, later stating an improvement in his vision. Khan, once a celebrated cricket star and now a significant political figure, was ousted in April 2022 through a no-confidence vote and has been imprisoned since 2023 following multiple convictions.