Jailed ex-Pakistani PM Imran Khan in hospital after uproar over health

Imran Khan Moved to Islamabad Hospital Under Supreme Court Mandate

Wanderstayfinder.com – After months of escalating tension over his physical condition behind bars, Pakistan’s imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan was transferred from Adiala jail to the International Shifa hospital in the capital on Friday, acting on a directive issued by a three-judge panel of the supreme court. The court had given the state government a strict 48-hour window to arrange his examination by qualified physicians at a private medical facility, ending a prolonged standoff in which the administration appeared uncertain about whether to comply.

Zulfikar Bukhari, a spokesperson for Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, confirmed the transfer and added that the court ruling also required authorities to permit family members to visit the former prime minister.

“The next phase must therefore go beyond Imran Khan’s immediate medical treatment. It must ensure independent medical oversight, access to qualified specialists, respect for family and legal rights, and complete transparency regarding his health,” Bukhari stated.

Court Order and Judicial Language

The supreme court panel, which had been hearing the matter after Khan’s family formally petitioned for intervention, made clear its reasoning in written language that underscored the gravity of the situation. The order emphasized the state’s duty toward detained individuals:

“We are mindful of the constitutional and legal obligation … to safeguard the life, health, dignity and security of the prisoner.”

Judges further indicated that an ophthalmologist would be brought in specifically to address Khan’s deteriorating vision. The family had taken the matter to the highest court after months of what they described as systematic denial of specialist care, family visits, and meetings with legal counsel while Khan remained in solitary confinement at Adiala.

Security Posture and Party Discipline

Islamabad saw a visible ramp-up of security ahead of the transfer. Hundreds of personnel were deployed around the hospital perimeter before Khan arrived, reflecting both the sensitivity of the moment and the scale of public attention surrounding his case. PTI leadership moved quickly to prevent any disruption at the hospital gates. Asad Qaiser, the former speaker of the national assembly and one of Khan’s closest political aides, posted on X in the early hours of Friday that the party had decided no supporter would assemble outside Shifa after the transfer. He added that anyone attempting to gather there would be acting outside the party’s authority.

“If anyone attempts to gather in front of the hospital and violating the party’s decision, he would have no affiliation with the party,” Qaiser wrote.

Months of Deterioration and Protest

The hospitalization caps a period of sustained public pressure. As early as February, PTI officials disclosed that Khan was experiencing severe eye damage, retaining only roughly 15 percent of his vision, while being held in solitary confinement and denied routine medical attention. Outside Adiala jail, his sisters and dozens of supporters gathered repeatedly over several months, staging protests demanding specialist treatment and the right to family contact. The government’s initial ambivalence about complying with the court’s timeline added fuel to the controversy, with observers noting internal disagreement within the administration over whether to move Khan at all.

Legal Landscape: Over 100 Cases and a 14-Year Sentence

Khan’s imprisonment traces back to his arrest in 2023, when he was convicted on corruption charges and handed a three-year prison term alongside a five-year political disqualification. Since then, his legal exposure has multiplied dramatically. He now faces more than 100 separate cases. In 2025, a court sentenced him to 14 years on corruption allegations centering on the acquisition of high-value land plots worth billions of rupees, allegedly obtained through a deal with a prominent Pakistani property magnate while Khan held the premiership. Khan and PTI have consistently rejected the charges, characterizing the prosecutions as politically motivated instruments designed to keep him out of electoral competition.

From Cricket Captain to Political Outcast

Before entering politics, Khan captained Pakistan’s national cricket team and built a celebrity profile that translated into electoral success. He served as prime minister from 2018 through 2022, a tenure that ended when the National Assembly passed a vote of no confidence against his government. His relationship with Pakistan’s military establishment, once cordial and mutually reinforcing, soured sharply after his removal from office. In the aftermath, Khan initially attributed his ouster to American pressure and subsequently pointed to then-army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa. Both the United States and Bajwa dismissed those accusations.

Following a brief detention and release in May 2023, Khan gave a media interview in which he accused the current army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, of harboring a “personal grudge” and of ordering both his arrest and a broader crackdown on PTI. The remarks crystallized the perception among Khan’s supporters that his legal troubles are inseparable from the military’s institutional interests, a framing that has shaped the party’s strategy of sustained public mobilization even while its leader remains incarcerated.

The supreme court’s intervention, while limited to the immediate question of medical access, has nonetheless opened a narrow channel of oversight that Khan’s family and party intend to press further. Whether the state will honor the broader implications of the ruling—independent monitoring, specialist access, and transparent reporting—remains the central question as Khan’s treatment at Shifa begins.