Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan taken to hospital for medical treatment
ISLAMABAD — Imprisoned former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was taken to a private hospital in the capital after midnight Thursday for medical treatment, his party said, hours after a senior Cabinet minister pledged to comply with a Supreme Court order on his care, reports BritPanorama.
The minister also indicated that the government could consider treatment abroad if adequate care was unavailable at a government facility.
Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, or PTI, stated that he had been transferred from Adiala prison to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad, following a Supreme Court order issued earlier this week. The party did not release further details regarding his condition or expected length of stay.
It remains uncertain whether Khan will be returned to prison after the examination or if he will be allowed to remain at the hospital for additional medical treatment. His party and family have continuously called for him to be permitted to stay at the hospital.
The latest development follows statements from Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, who noted that the government had sought clarification from the Supreme Court regarding whether the medical relief granted to Khan would apply only to him or could extend to other prisoners as well.
Chaudhry’s comments came two days after a three-judge Supreme Court panel mandated that authorities transport Khan to Shifa International Hospital for a medical examination, responding to mounting concerns over his health and access to adequate medical care. The court required that he be evaluated by a medical board that includes specialists and one of his personal physicians, Faisal Sultan.
Earlier on Thursday, Chaudhry communicated on X that the government would fully comply with the Supreme Court’s order and emphasized that the request for clarification was not intended to defy or delay the implementation of the ruling. He later confirmed that all preparations had been made for Khan’s transfer from prison to the hospital.
After midnight, local media reported that Khan—who has not been seen publicly since his imprisonment in 2023 due to a graft case—was being examined at the hospital.
The government upholds that, under current regulations, prisoners are provided medical treatment within prison and can be transferred to government hospitals when deemed necessary.
Concerns regarding Khan’s health escalated in late January when his family claimed he had lost approximately 85% of vision in his right eye, a statement that the government disputed. Authorities later asserted that Khan had regained around 70% of his vision in that eye, claiming his condition was improving.
The former cricket star turned politician was ousted in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in April 2022 and has been imprisoned since 2023 following multiple convictions.
