Pakistan challenges top court order to move Imran Khan to private hospital

Pakistan's government plans to contest a Supreme Court order mandating the transfer of former Prime Minister Imran Khan to a hospital for medical examination. The court's ruling from Tuesday mandates Khan's relocation from Adiala prison in Rawalpindi to private Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad within a 48-hour period. Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar declared on a recent video statement that the court's decision breaches legal norms, insisting a prisoner should undergo treatment within jail premises or at a publicly funded hospital.

Tarar also requested that Khan undergo medical tests in a government facility rather than a private one.

Khan, a former cricketer now serving as a politician, has been incarcerated since 2023, following his conviction on several charges he contends were politically motivated. PTI, Khan's political party, and his family have consistently expressed concerns over his health situation within prison confines and have demanded improved healthcare and visitation rights.

Khan's legal team further claims that his vision in his right eye has significantly deteriorated. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court issued an order directing the authorities to provide Khan with access to his personal physician, weekly family visits, and bi-weekly phone calls with his sons residing in London.

Khan previously served as Pakistan's Prime Minister from 2018 to 2022 before his removal in a no-confidence vote. Subsequently, he was found guilty on multiple charges, including an unlawful marriage and corruption allegations, and was subsequently sentenced to 17 years in prison last year. Despite his removal from office, Khan still enjoys considerable backing, particularly in key provinces of Pakistan. His arrest in early 2023 sparked widespread protests, resulting in the arrest of hundreds of individuals.