Islamabad (TIP): Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan was taken back to Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on Friday morning after undergoing a medical examination at Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad. He had been shifted to the private hospital after midnight in compliance with a Supreme Court order.
The move came amid a continuing dispute over Khan’s treatment and custody. The apex court had directed on August 18 that he be transferred to the hospital “within the next two days” and remain there until the next hearing of his case on September 16, while the government’s review plea was returned by the registrar’s office over incomplete paper books. Khan’s party had also threatened to file a contempt petition if he was not admitted to hospital by Thursday 11:59 pm, even as Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said there was no deadline for the transfer.
In a social media post, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed that the former premier had been moved back to jail after the examination. “In the light of the Supreme Court’s order, the prisoner was taken to the hospital under appropriate security arrangements during the night between August 20 and 21,” he said. Tarar did not name Khan or the hospital in his post.
Tarar said a team of doctors, including an ophthalmologist, a cardiologist and a physician, carried out a detailed examination and found him medically fit. He also said Khan’s sister, Uzma Khan, remained present during all stages of the medical examination and treatment. After the process was completed, Khan was shifted back to Adiala Jail “at approximately 5 am”, Tarar said.
Earlier, Khan’s international media spokesperson Zulfi Bukhari had confirmed that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder had been shifted from Adiala Jail to Shifa International Hospital following the Supreme Court order. Khan, 73, has been lodged in Adiala Jail, a detention facility on the outskirts of Rawalpindi, since his arrest on August 5, 2023, on multiple charges, including corruption.
The medical report placed before the court had said Khan was suffering from “level three plus” anxiety, described as severe anxiety that can overwhelm daily tasks, cause intense physical strain and affect clear thinking. One of the main concerns in his case has also been an eye condition. Over the past few months, he was taken several times to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad for treatment after his right central retinal vein occlusion came to light in late January. Demands to move him to a private hospital gathered pace after that.
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