Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed on Friday that PTI founding chairman Imran Khan underwent a medical examination in the early hours of August 21, carried out in compliance with a Supreme Court directive, after which he was returned to Adiala jail.
Writing on X, Tarar said Khan was transported to the hospital sometime between the night of August 20 and the early morning of August 21, with security measures described as “appropriate” put in place for the transfer.
According to Tarar, a panel of specialists, including an ophthalmologist, a cardiologist and a general physician, carried out a thorough check-up and confirmed Khan was in stable medical condition. His sister, Uzma Khan, was present throughout the process.
Imran Khan Medical Examination Shifted to PIMS
Khan was taken back to Adiala jail at roughly 5am on August 21 once the evaluation concluded, Tarar noted. In a subsequent post, the minister clarified that the actual examination took place at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), though physicians from Shifa International Hospital were also present for the assessment.
Tarar explained that the venue was changed to PIMS because of security concerns linked to PTI supporters gathering along the route to, and outside, Shifa International Hospital. He added that the government had provided medical facilities to Khan before and would continue doing so whenever necessary.
This statement followed earlier media reports indicating that Khan had first undergone testing at Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad in the early hours of Friday. He had been escorted from Adiala jail’s Gate No 1 to the facility under heavy police protection.
The Supreme Court had previously directed that the jailed former prime minister be moved to a medical facility within 48 hours, citing concerns over his health. The federal government responded by filing a review petition challenging that order, though the Supreme Court’s Registrar Office sent the petition back on Thursday morning citing certain objections.
Separately, Federal Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry suggested that sending Khan abroad for treatment remained a possibility under consideration.
Khan, 73, has been behind bars since August 2023 over convictions that he and his party maintain are politically driven. He has faced a string of legal cases since being removed as prime minister through a no-confidence vote in April 2022.
‘Bani Gala Transfer Premature,’ Says PTI Leader
PTI Secretary-General Salman Akram Raja said it would be premature to assume Khan might be moved from the hospital directly to his residence in Bani Gala. He noted that any location could technically be designated a sub-jail if medical professionals determined that sending him back to prison would harm his health.
Raja pointed out that the report submitted to the court described jail conditions as a source of anxiety for the PTI founder. “These are all possible options,” he said, declining to confirm any specific outcome.
Imran Would Not Confront Army Chief, Says Aide
Zulfi Bukhari, a close associate of the former premier, told Reuters that Khan would avoid any confrontation with the Pakistan Army or with Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir if released. “If Imran Khan was released tomorrow, hypothetically, he wouldn’t do anything that would effectively damage the country,” Bukhari said, calling him “magnanimous.”
“That doesn’t mean you go loggerheads with the establishment, with the military leader,” Bukhari added. “You control your own hurt. You curb your own pain. You swallow it for the betterment of your country.”
He described the Supreme Court’s ruling as a “new ray of hope” and confirmed PTI’s intention to follow the court’s instructions barring workers and leaders from gathering near the hospital. Bukhari, currently in self-imposed exile in Dubai, said party leaders last communicated directly with Khan eight months earlier. He added that several senior PTI figures currently in hiding might resurface to help mobilize supporters, saying, “You’ll probably see a lot of leadership come out of hiding… Even if you don’t see them, you’ll see them mobilising.”
Government’s Review Petition
In its petition filed a day earlier, the federal government argued that the Supreme Court’s August 18 interim order, which directed Khan’s transfer to a private hospital, went beyond the court’s jurisdiction and required review. The petition stated that a relevant statutory provision appeared to have been overlooked, resulting in what it called an evident error in the ruling.
The plea noted that Khan had earlier requested a transfer to Shifa International Hospital for treatment, a request the Islamabad High Court denied on March 12, prompting an appeal to the Supreme Court. It also cited Rule 197 of the Pakistan Prison Rules, 1978, which outlines procedures for moving prisoners to hospitals, stressing that such transfers must occur under police supervision.
The petition further argued that Khan had undergone regular medical checks in the past and had been treated by medical boards on multiple occasions, insisting the court should have consulted medical experts before ordering his transfer.
Supreme Court’s Original Ruling
In its order issued Tuesday, the Supreme Court directed Adiala jail authorities to transfer Khan to Shifa Hospital for assessment and treatment within a two-day window, a deadline that expired the same day as Friday’s examination. The court also mandated the formation of a medical board to oversee his care and ordered that both Dr. Uzma and Khan’s personal physician be present during the process, with medical costs covered by his family.
Authorities were instructed to carry out the transfer under strict security and finish all necessary arrangements promptly. The court further warned that failing to comply with its directions could lead to the withdrawal of facilities currently extended to Khan.
Following the ruling, PTI welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision and appealed to its supporters to refrain from gathering outside the medical facility.
