Imran Khan's family accuses Pakistan government of defying court-ordered hospital transfer
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Imran Khan's family and physician accused the Pakistani government of failing to comply with a Supreme Court order to transfer the jailed former prime minister to a private hospital by Thursday midnight. Khan was instead taken to the government-run PIMS hospital for a few hours before being returned to Adiala jail by 5am Friday, his lawyer said. The accusation came as hundreds of supporters gathered outside Shifa International Hospital expecting his arrival.
Key Facts
- Pakistan's Supreme Court ordered authorities to transfer Imran Khan to Shifa International Hospital by midnight Thursday.
- Khan was returned to Adiala jail by 5am Friday without ever entering Shifa hospital, according to his lawyer.
- Khan, 73, has been jailed since August 2023 on charges his party calls politically driven.
- An estimated 400 to 500 supporters gathered outside Shifa hospital by nightfall on Thursday.
The Court Order
The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered authorities to transfer Imran Khan from Adiala jail to Shifa International Hospital by midnight Thursday. Khan was to remain at Shifa under medical care until the case was next heard on September 16, his lawyer told Al Jazeera. The order followed a medical board report that highlighted concerns over Khan's right-eye condition, which has required months of specialist treatment.
The Night's Events
Khan was taken to the government-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) instead of Shifa, spending a few hours there before being returned to his cell by 5am Friday. His sister Uzma Khanum met him at PIMS past midnight, telling doctors, "This is my sister, I'm meeting her after 10 months." At a news conference on Friday afternoon, Khanum and Khan's personal physician Faisal Sultan described the night as a "failure" by the government to follow the court's order. A journalist outside Shifa's gates said police checkpoints allowed only visitors with hospital cards, and an officer told him, "We're not letting anyone through here."
Supporters' Vigil
By nightfall, an estimated 400 to 500 supporters had gathered outside Shifa International Hospital, some travelling from distant towns in Punjab with their families. The crowd was convinced the former prime minister would arrive that night, according to a journalist who spent the night at the scene.
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Imran Khan's family accuses Pakistan government of defying court-ordered hospital transfer
