Imran Khan Transferred to Islamabad Hospital Following Supreme Court Orders
Imran Khan, the former prime minister of Pakistan and 1992 cricket captain, has been transferred from Adiala Jail to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad under a Supreme Court directive. This decision was made by a three-member bench led by Justice Shahid Waheed on Tuesday, following a petition from Khan’s political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which cited concerns over his deteriorating health.
Khan was moved to the private hospital in the early hours of Friday amidst stringent security measures. The duration of his hospital stay remains uncertain. “Former Prime Minister Imran Khan has been shifted from Adiala Jail to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad following Supreme Court order,” confirmed a PTI statement.
The government’s attempts to challenge the Supreme Court’s order were thwarted when the registrar’s office rejected their petition due to incomplete documentation. Authorities have argued that permitting Khan to receive treatment at a private facility of his choice would constitute discrimination. Reports indicate that the government may file a revised petition with necessary amendments in response to the registrar’s objections.
Concerns about Khan’s health have been raised since February 2023, with his party alleging that he experienced a significant decline in vision, claiming only 15 percent visibility in his right eye due to untreated medical conditions. He had previously made multiple short visits to the state-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) for evaluation.
The alarming state of his health prompted an open letter earlier this year from 14 former international cricket captains, including notable players such as Greg Chappell, Sunil Gavaskar, and Kapil Dev. The letter urged Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to ensure that Khan is treated with “dignity and basic human consideration.”
Khan has been incarcerated at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi since August 2023, facing multiple prison sentences on corruption charges, which both he and his party deny.
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