Jailed Pakistan ex‑PM Imran Khan moved to hospital on Supreme Court order, says party

ISLAMABAD, Aug 21 — Imran Khan, Pakistan's former prime minister and a highly popular politician, was transferred to a hospital for medical examinations under the Supreme Court's orders, according to his political party, PTI. The move was confirmed by Zulfi Bukhari, a spokesperson for Khan's party, who informed AFP that the ex-leader had arrived at Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad.

The Supreme Court's directive was duly followed, as reported by Arif Alvi, the nation's former president and a PTI member on the social media platform X. Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were convicted last year of corruption and other offenses, with Khan serving a 17-year prison sentence since 2023. Khan, who maintains the charges are politically motivated, maintains his stance despite the court's intervention.

Hundreds of police, some wielding batons, were stationed near the private hospital, and roads leading to the clinic were blocked. Supporters of Khan, numbering in the dozens, gathered outside the facility, while others showered passing vehicles with red flower petals. Khan's supporters, including a 69-year-old Younus Qureshi who expressed his backing for the man who has "made so many sacrifices for Pakistan," and a 52-year-old Bilal who hoped for the former cricket captain's proper medical care, vowed to remain loyal to Khan.

Khan's legal team had approached the Supreme Court, arguing that the former prime minister is unwell and requires a medical assessment. The court responded by ordering Khan's hospitalization within two days. Earlier this year, Khan had undergone eye treatment at another hospital, with his family stating that he had lost most of his vision in his right eye.

The three-member court further stated that Khan would be permitted to visit his family once a week and speak to his sons twice weekly via telephone. A panel of specialists would oversee his treatment, with his sister, a medical doctor named Uzma Khan, permitted to participate. Khan's tenure as prime minister spanned from 2018 to 2022, when he was removed from office in a no-confidence vote following a political crisis fueled by disagreements between his administration and the influential military establishment. The arrest of Khan prompted widespread protests across the country in May 2023.