Pakistan's top court orders Imran Khan to be moved from prison to hospital
Pakistan ’s Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered that imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan must be moved to a hospital after his party and family raised concerns about his health. Khan, 73, has been in jail since August 2023, convicted in a string of cases that he says were politically driven following his ousting from office in 2022. The cricketer-turned-politician's sons have been warning…
On Tuesday, Pakistan's Supreme Court mandated that former Prime Minister Imran Khan, currently incarcerated, be transferred from prison to a hospital due to health concerns raised by his party and family. The 73-year-old political figure has been detained since August 2023, convicted in several cases he claims were politically motivated following his removal from office in 2022.
Khan's sons have previously expressed worries about his deteriorating health since the previous year. His legal team asserts that he has suffered significant vision loss in his right eye while incarcerated.
The court's decision to move Khan to Shifa International Hospital within 48 hours and keep him there until September 16 was highlighted by his spokesman, Naeem Haider Panjutha, on X. Justice Shahid Waheed, leading the three-judge bench, stated that the order is taken to safeguard the prisoner's health and well-being. The court also instructed the formation of a medical panel for Khan's treatment, comprising his personal physician, a cardiologist, a general medicine specialist, and an eye specialist.
Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party spokesperson, Zulfikar Bukhari, welcomed the order and hoped it would have been enacted sooner to prevent his health from further deteriorating. His party urged its members and supporters to refrain from assembling outside the hospital, as per the court's directives.
The government has yet to respond to the court's ruling. Khan has been facing multiple charges, including allegations of misappropriating state gifts and unlawful marriage, since losing power in a no-confidence vote in April 2022. Some convictions have been suspended or quashed, with appeals still pending. He maintains his innocence.
Prominent cricketers worldwide, including from India, voiced their concerns over his prison conditions in February, expressing "deep concern." The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, which Khan heads, won the elections in 2018 and still enjoys significant support in several key provinces. However, it lost its election symbol before the 2024 polls, compelling its candidates to field as independents.
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