Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, has been returned to Adiala prison following a medical examination at Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad. This development follows a directive from the Supreme Court concerning Khan’s health care needs.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed that Khan underwent a thorough medical check-up conducted by a team of specialists, which included an ophthalmologist, a cardiologist, and a physician. “A team of qualified doctors, including an ophthalmologist, a cardiologist and a physician, conducted a detailed examination of him and declared him medically fit,” Tarar stated on X. Khan’s sister, Azma Khan, was present during the entire examination process.
The transfer to the hospital was executed after the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, PTI, confirmed the Supreme Court’s order for a medical evaluation earlier in the week. Despite the party’s and family members’ requests for Khan to remain in the hospital for treatment, he was returned to prison shortly after the examination.
The government has indicated a willingness to adhere to the Supreme Court’s ruling, even considering the possibility of treatment abroad should local facilities fall short. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry mentioned that the government sought the court’s clarification on whether the granted medical relief was exclusive to Khan or applicable to other inmates as well.
Chaudhry’s remarks came in the wake of the Supreme Court’s order for Khan’s examination at Shifa International Hospital, following ongoing concerns from his relatives and personal doctors about his access to adequate medical care. The court’s directive included the involvement of a medical board comprising specialists and one of Khan’s personal physicians, Faisal Sultan.
On Thursday, Chaudhry reassured that the government was fully compliant with the court’s decision, and the request for clarification was not intended to hinder the process. Arrangements for Khan’s transfer to the hospital were duly executed.
Local media reported, after midnight, that Khan, who has not been seen publicly since his imprisonment in 2023 on graft charges, was undergoing medical examination at the hospital.
The Pakistani government’s current policy allows for prisoners to receive medical treatment within prison facilities, with transfers to government hospitals permissible when necessary. Concerns regarding Khan’s health intensified earlier in the year when his family claimed he lost significant vision in his right eye, a point contested by the government. Authorities later indicated an improvement in his condition, noting a 70% recovery in his vision.
Imran Khan, once a celebrated cricket player before his political career, was removed from office through a parliamentary no-confidence vote in April 2022 and has been incarcerated since 2023 following convictions in several cases.
