Pakistan’s top court orders imprisoned former PM Imran Khan taken to hospital, allows family visits

Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Tuesday issued an order for imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan to be transported to a private hospital in the capital for a medical examination, amid ongoing concerns about his health and medical care from his family and personal physicians, according to lawyers and party officials. The three-judge panel instructed Khan to be taken to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad within days, to undergo examination by a panel including specialists and one of his personal physicians, Faisal Sultan.

The court also permitted weekly family visits and telephone calls with his sons for Khan. Following the ruling, authorities permitted one of Khan’s sisters to visit him, as the prison had barred visitors due to intelligence reports of a potential attack. Khan had petitioned the court earlier this year, requesting transfer to a hospital for medical treatment and access to his personal physicians, family, and lawyers, citing his deteriorating health and compromised medical care.

His Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party hailed the court’s decision, urging swift implementation while cautioning supporters not to gather outside the hospital to avoid inconveniencing other patients. However, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar announced that the government would review the medical treatment aspect of the order, questioning its applicability to all prisoners with health issues, given the prevalence of such problems among inmates in government hospitals.

Concerns over Khan’s health surged in January after family members reported a significant loss of vision in his right eye, a claim disputed by the government, which later stated that his vision had partially recovered. Khan has been incarcerated since 2023 following a conviction for corruption, having been ousted from office in a no-confidence vote in April 2022.

Despite his legal troubles, Khan remains a prominent figure in Pakistani politics and commands a significant following.