Jailed Pakistan ex-PM Imran Khan moved to hospital for medical tests on Supreme Court order

Jailed former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan was shifted to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad for medical tests early Friday, following an order from the Supreme Court, his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said.

Hundreds of police personnel, some carrying sticks, were deployed around the hospital as roads leading to the facility were cordoned off.

“It’s confirmed that he has arrived at Shifa International Hospital,” PTI spokesman Zulfi Bukhari told AFP, saying the Supreme Court’s order had been complied with.

Former Pakistan president and PTI leader Arif Alvi also confirmed Khan’s transfer in a post on X, saying the development had brought joy to the country.

Dozens of Khan supporters gathered outside the private hospital, with some throwing red flower petals at passing vehicles. Supporters said they had come to show solidarity with the former prime minister and hoped he would receive proper medical treatment.

Khan’s lawyers had approached the Supreme Court, citing concerns over his health and seeking a medical examination. A three-member bench on Tuesday ordered that he be taken to a hospital within two days.

Earlier this year, Khan underwent treatment for an eye condition. His family had said he had lost most of the vision in his right eye.

The Supreme Court also directed that Khan be allowed to meet his family once a week and speak with his sons by telephone twice a week. A panel of medical specialists will oversee his treatment, while his sister and doctor, Uzma Khan, will be permitted to participate in his care.

Khan, 73, and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were sentenced to 17 years in prison late last year after being convicted in corruption and other cases. Khan, who has remained in jail since 2023, has maintained that the cases against him are politically motivated.

The former cricketer served as Pakistan’s prime minister from 2018 to 2022 before being removed through a no-confidence vote amid a political crisis and growing tensions with the country’s powerful military establishment.

His arrest in May 2023 triggered widespread protests across Pakistan.