19/08/2026
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19/08/2026
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ISLAMABAD, Aug 19: Pakistan's government has announced it will challenge a Supreme Court order directing the transfer of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan to a private hospital for medical examinations.
Government Rejects Ruling
The country's top court ruled on Tuesday that the 73-year-old be moved from Adiala prison in Rawalpindi to the private Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad within 48 hours.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar pushed back against the decision in a video statement issued Tuesday night, saying the ruling "does not fall within the four corners of the law."
Tarar argued that under Pakistani law, a convicted prisoner must receive treatment either inside the jail or at a public hospital. He said the government would request that Khan's medical tests be conducted at a government facility rather than a private one.
Health Concerns Mount
The cricketer-turned-politician has been imprisoned since 2023 following convictions on a series of charges he maintains were politically motivated.
His party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and his family have repeatedly raised alarms about his deteriorating health behind bars, demanding access to healthcare and visitation rights. According to his lawyers, Khan has lost most of the vision in his right eye.
In addition to ordering the hospital transfer, Tuesday's Supreme Court ruling directed authorities to:
Grant Khan access to his personal physician
Allow weekly meetings with his family
Permit two phone calls per week with his sons, who live in London
From Prime Minister to Prisoner
Khan served as Pakistan's prime minister from 2018 until his removal in a no-confidence vote in 2022. He was subsequently convicted on multiple charges, including allegations of an unlawful marriage and corruption.
Late last year, Khan and his wife were sentenced to 17 years in prison for graft. Both deny any wrongdoing.
Political Fallout
Despite his imprisonment, Khan remains a popular figure, and PTI continues to command significant support across key provinces. His arrest in early 2023 sparked nationwide protests that led to hundreds of arrests — a sign of the political tensions that continue to surround his case.
The government's planned legal challenge sets up a fresh confrontation between the executive and the judiciary over the treatment of the country's most prominent prisoner.