Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has been transferred from jail to a hospital in the capital following a Supreme Court ruling that mandated his medical examination and access to family members he had been denied for months.
Khan was escorted from Adiala jail to Shifa International Hospital late on Thursday, 20 August, according to local media reports. A three-judge panel of the Supreme Court had issued an order requiring his transfer within 48 hours to allow physicians to assess his health conditions. The move represents the most significant court relief Khan has received since his imprisonment in 2023 on corruption charges, which he maintains are politically motivated.
The area surrounding Shifa International Hospital was sealed off by police with barriers, officers and patrol vehicles positioned throughout. Outside the facility, police cleared streets by moving parked cars with a truck, while armoured vehicles patrolled the perimeter.
What prompted the hospital transfer?
Khan's legal team has documented multiple health concerns during his incarceration, including deteriorating eyesight and lack of access to specialist medical treatment. In February, his lawyer reported that Khan retained only 15 percent vision in his right eye after prison authorities allegedly failed to provide appropriate care—a claim disputed by the government. The Supreme Court's order specifically mandated that an eye specialist be included in his medical assessment team, with one of the physicians identified as Faisal Sultan.
In their ruling, the judges stated:
We are mindful of the constitutional and legal obligation... to safeguard the life, health, dignity and security of the prisoner.The order addressed concerns raised across five separate petitions regarding Khan's access to medical care and family contact that the court had scheduled for hearing on 18 August.
What family contact has been restored?
The Supreme Court's order also specified that Khan be permitted to see his family after months of separation. His sister visited him in prison on Tuesday night before the hospital transfer. According to reporting on the ruling, the order called for family contact arrangements, including weekly meetings and regular calls.
Has the government challenged the court order?
Pakistan's government filed a review petition against the Supreme Court's decision to move Khan to a private hospital, seeking to overturn the transfer mandate. However, according to reports from Khan's political party, Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the government subsequently withdrew the review petition after the court objected. The Supreme Court warned both the judges and PTI members to ensure supporters did not gather outside the hospital, cautioning that such gatherings would violate the court order. The court also instructed Khan's party not to hold press conferences at the hospital, signalling its intent to prevent politicisation of his medical treatment.
What is Khan's background and why was he imprisoned?
Khan, 73, previously captained the Pakistan national cricket team before transitioning to politics. He served as Prime Minister from 2018 to 2022. He was imprisoned in August 2023 and has faced charges across more than 100 cases, ranging from allegations of leaking state secrets to selling state gifts. All charges have been rejected by Khan as politically motivated. In late 2024, both Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were sentenced to 17 years imprisonment. His detention sparked widespread protests by supporters, which authorities met with security crackdowns.
Despite his incarceration, Khan remains a significant political force in Pakistan with a substantial base of supporters. His party, PTI, has typically characterised court decisions against him as politically motivated, though the party has not publicly commented on whether the Supreme Court's hospital transfer order signals political manoeuvring behind the scenes.
What happens next?
Khan is expected to remain at Shifa International Hospital until at least the next Supreme Court hearing scheduled for 16 September, pending the outcome of his medical assessment. According to his lawyer, the Supreme Court's order specified Khan should remain hospitalised until at least that hearing.
Key Facts
- Khan was transferred from Adiala jail to Shifa International Hospital on 20 August following a Supreme Court order issued within 48 hours
- The court mandated medical evaluation by specialists, including an eye specialist, to assess Khan's deteriorating health conditions documented during his imprisonment
- The order restored family contact rights after months of separation, including weekly meetings and regular telephone calls
- Pakistan's government initially filed a review petition challenging the transfer but subsequently withdrew it after court objection
- The next Supreme Court hearing is scheduled for 16 September, with Khan expected to remain hospitalised pending that proceeding
