Pakistan government to challenge ex-PM Khan hospital move

Pakistan's government announced on Tuesday that it will challenge a Supreme Court order to move former Prime Minister Imran Khan to a hospital for medical examinations. The country's top court had ruled that the 73-year-old be transferred from Adiala prison in Rawalpindi to the private Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad within 48 hours.

Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar stated that the ruling is outside the bounds of the law, as a convicted prisoner must be treated within the jail or at a public hospital. Khan, a former cricketer-turned-politician, has been in prison since 2023 after being convicted on charges he claims were politically motivated. His party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and family have expressed concerns about his health and requested access to healthcare and visitation rights.

The Supreme Court order also aimed to grant Khan access to his personal physician, weekly family visits, and twice-weekly phone calls with his sons living in London. Khan served as Pakistan's Prime Minister from 2018 to 2022, but was subsequently convicted on charges including an unlawful marriage and corruption, and sentenced to 17 years in prison.

Despite being out of power, Khan remains a popular figure and PTI enjoys substantial support in several provinces. Nationwide protests triggered by Khan's arrest in early 2023 led to hundreds of arrests.