{
  "id": 1932104,
  "title": "Pakistan’s government challenges court order on Imran Khan hospital move",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/pakistans-government-challenges-court-order-on-imran-khan-hospital",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-19T12:25:05.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3364588/pakistans-government-challenges-court-order-imran-khan-hospital-move"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Pakistan's government contested a Supreme Court order on Wednesday to relocate jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan to a private hospital, according to a petition filed with the court. The move could negatively impact Khan's party and family, who have been advocating for his access to healthcare and visitation rights, and could also lead to public discontent over his treatment. Khan, 73, has been incarcerated in Rawalpindi since August 2023, convicted in several politically-motivated cases after falling out with the military and losing power the previous year. The Supreme Court mandated the government to transfer Khan to the private Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad within two days, also granting him access to his personal physician. Pakistan's Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar dismissed the order as not being within the bounds of the law. The government argued that moving a convicted individual to a private hospital based on a report without any indication of immediate medical necessity would undermine the criminal justice system and potentially set a precedent for other prisoners to seek similar relief, which the existing law does not permit. Khan's sons have been vocal about his declining health; his vision in the right eye has reportedly worsened while in prison. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has supported the court's decision, calling for its immediate and full implementation. The court also ordered authorities to arrange weekly phone calls between Khan and his two sons living in London. Khan's younger son, Kasim, emphasized that his father's health is the most important factor. He and his older brother Sulaiman, who grew up in Britain after their father's divorce from their British socialite mother, have not been able to visit their father since 2022 due to visa issues. Since losing power in a parliamentary no-confidence vote, Khan has been involved in multiple cases, including allegations of taking state gifts, inciting violent attacks on military and state installations, and an alleged unlawful marriage. All convictions, except one, have been suspended or overturned, with appeals pending. Khan maintains his innocence.",
  "summary": "The Pakistani government challenged on Wednesday a Supreme Court order to move jailed former prime minister Imran Khan to a private hospital, a petition filed with the court showed. The move could dash the hopes of Khan’s party and family, who have been calling for him to be given access to healthcare and visitation rights, and also spark public discontent over the treatment of the hugely popular…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}