Key facts
- Imran Khan's party filed a contempt petition against the government.
- The petition alleges authorities took Khan to a state-run hospital instead of the private Shifa International Hospital as ordered by the top court.
- Khan was briefly taken to a hospital in Islamabad before being returned to prison.
- Khan's lawyers claim his health has deteriorated in prison and he has lost significant vision in his right eye.
The party of Pakistan's jailed former prime minister Imran Khan has filed a contempt petition against the government, alleging that authorities took the politician to a state-run hospital instead of the private Shifa International Hospital as previously ordered by the country's top court. Khan was briefly transferred to a hospital in Islamabad for a check-up before being returned to Adiala prison.
Khan's lawyers assert that his health has deteriorated in prison, leading to significant vision loss in his right eye. The government, however, stated that medical reports indicated no immediate treatment was necessary and that Khan was declared medically fit upon his return to prison. The Supreme Court had ordered Khan's transfer to Shifa International Hospital within 48 hours, allowing access to a medical panel that includes his personal physician, following weeks of public outcry over his worsening health.
Security was heightened around the hospital prior to Khan's arrival. His party and family have been demanding specialist medical care for months, with claims in February that he faced severe eye damage and was kept in solitary confinement, denied basic medical care and meetings with family and lawyers. The family eventually escalated the matter to the Supreme Court.
Khan was arrested in 2023 and sentenced to three years in jail on corruption charges, subsequently being disqualified from politics for five years. He faces over 100 other cases. Khan, a former cricket captain, served as prime minister from 2018 to 2022 before being ousted in a vote of no confidence. He has accused the US and Pakistan's former army chief of orchestrating his removal from office, allegations they deny.