ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister Imran Khan was returned to prison early Friday after an overnight medical examination at a state-run Islamabad hospital, the government said, despite a Supreme Court order directing his transfer to a private facility.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Khan, 73, was examined at the state-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), with doctors from Shifa International Hospital also present, before being returned to Adiala Jail in neighboring Rawalpindi at around 5 a.m.
The clarification came after Khan’s party said Thursday night that he had been shifted to Shifa, while heavy security was imposed around the private hospital and roads leading to it. Initial reports, including by Arab News, also said Khan had been taken there.
“The medical examination was conducted at PIMS Hospital, where doctors from Al-Shifa Hospital were also present,” Tarar said on social media platform X on Friday morning.
He said authorities changed the venue because of what he described as a “security situation” created by supporters of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party on the route to and outside Shifa.
The Supreme Court had ordered authorities on Tuesday to transfer Khan to Shifa International Hospital within 48 hours for specialist examination and treatment, with a medical board that included his personal physician. The court allowed him to remain there until Sept. 16, subject to the board’s recommendations.
Tarar said a team of doctors, including an ophthalmologist, cardiologist and physician, conducted a detailed examination and declared Khan “medically fit.” Khan’s sister, Uzma Khanum, remained present during the examination and treatment, according to the minister.
“After the completion of this entire process, he was transferred back to Adiala Jail at approximately 0500 hours on the morning of August 21, 2026,” Tarar said.
Arab News visited Shifa International Hospital on Friday morning and found that the heavy police deployment of the previous night had been removed and surrounding roads, which had been cordoned off, were open to traffic.
The decision to examine Khan at PIMS rather than the private hospital specified by the Supreme Court is likely to raise questions about the extent to which authorities complied with the court’s directive.
Political observers widely believe the overnight exercise reflected an effort by the government to comply with the substance of the Supreme Court order and avoid possible contempt proceedings while limiting Khan’s time outside prison and the prospect of his hospital stay becoming a political mobilization point. The government has not described its actions in those terms.
The government had sought a review of the Supreme Court order, arguing that allowing a convicted prisoner treatment at a specified private hospital could encourage other inmates to demand similar relief. The court registrar’s office returned that petition on Thursday because of filing deficiencies.
The episode drew intense attention in Pakistan because Khan remains one of the country’s most popular political figures despite spending more than three years behind bars and prolonged periods largely out of public view. The former cricket star retains a large and highly mobilized following, particularly among younger Pakistanis.
Khan has previously been taken from prison to PIMS for treatment of central retinal vein occlusion in his right eye, a condition that can impair vision. His health and access to doctors have become a major point of contention between his family and party and the government, which says he has received appropriate medical care.
POLITICAL AND LEGAL BATTLE
Khan, who led Pakistan to its only 50-over cricket World Cup title in 1992, served as prime minister from 2018 until his removal in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in April 2022.
He has been imprisoned since August 2023 and has faced scores of legal cases since leaving office, ranging from corruption allegations to charges related to violence by his supporters following his brief arrest in May 2023. Khan denies wrongdoing and says the cases are politically motivated, while the government denies persecuting him.
His relationship with Pakistan’s powerful military deteriorated sharply after he left office, leading to one of the country’s most bitter confrontations between a major political movement and the armed forces. The military denies Khan’s accusations that it interferes in politics or has played a role in his imprisonment.
Despite his incarceration and absence from public view, Khan has retained substantial political support, with his imprisonment and health continuing to mobilize supporters and dominate Pakistan’s deeply polarized political landscape.
