Govt Moves SC to Review Imran Khan’s Transfer to Shifa Hospital

ISLAMABAD: The federal government on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court to review its decision allowing incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan to be transferred to Islamabad’s Shifa International Hospital for assessment and treatment by a multidisciplinary medical board.

The review petition was filed by the government through the Islamabad chief commissioner, a day after the Supreme Court issued its ruling.

The Supreme Court’s order came amid months of litigation and mounting concern over Khan’s health, particularly problems relating to his eyesight. His family and lawyers had repeatedly sought specialised medical care, arguing that treatment available to him in custody was inadequate and that his condition required assessment by independent specialists.

The issue had earlier reached the Islamabad High Court, which in March directed the formation of a medical board to assess Khan’s condition. The board was to include relevant specialists, including doctors associated with Shifa Eye Hospital, reflecting the particular concern over his eye ailment.

Health concerns intensified earlier this year after Khan’s family and lawyers said he had suffered a substantial loss of vision in his right eye. Government authorities disputed some of the claims about the severity of his condition, while maintaining that he was receiving medical treatment and that his health was being monitored.

In its ruling on Tuesday, the Supreme Court directed that Khan be shifted from Adiala Jail to Shifa International Hospital within two days for assessment and treatment. It also ordered the constitution of a multidisciplinary medical board, with specialists and Khan’s personal physician to be involved in evaluating his condition.

The court’s order also addressed Khan’s access to his family, directing that he be allowed regular meetings with relatives while under medical care and permitting contact with his sons. The petitions before the court had raised both medical concerns and questions about restrictions on family access during his incarceration.

The federal government, however, argued that the direction to transfer a convicted prisoner to a private hospital went beyond the legal framework governing medical facilities available to prisoners. Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said the government believed Khan could instead be examined and treated at an appropriate tertiary-care government hospital, while specialists from other institutions could be included in the medical board if necessary.

Khan, 73, has been incarcerated since August 2023 and continues to face a number of legal cases following his removal as prime minister through a vote of no confidence in April 2022. While some of his convictions have been overturned or suspended on appeal, he remains in custody, with his continued imprisonment and medical condition remaining central issues in Pakistan’s deeply polarised political landscape.