Key facts
- Imran Khan, jailed former Pakistani PM, was moved from prison to a government hospital for medical examination.
- Khan has since been returned to prison after doctors found him medically fit.
- Khan's party plans to file a contempt petition, alleging violation of a Supreme Court order regarding his hospital transfer.
- Pakistan's government rejected allegations of cruelty, torture, solitary confinement, and medical neglect against Khan.
- The government stated Khan is a convicted prisoner and has had numerous visits from family and others.
- Khan's health condition was described as "100% fit" by his sister, according to the government.
Pakistan's government has rejected allegations of mistreatment and medical neglect leveled by the family and party of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan. The government stated that Khan, who is serving court-imposed sentences, is not being held under a government order but as a convicted prisoner.
Khan was transferred from Adiala prison to a government-run hospital in Islamabad for a medical examination, a move his family and party claim violated a Supreme Court order to use a private hospital. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stated Khan was medically fit after the examination and has since been returned to prison. Khan's sister, Uzma Khan, reported her brother complained of solitary confinement, which she described as mental torture. His party plans to file a contempt petition over the alleged violation of the Supreme Court's directive.
The Ministry of Information countered that Khan has received over 900 visits from family, lawyers, doctors, and political representatives since his imprisonment in 2023. It also stated he has weekly meetings with his wife and regular contact with relatives abroad, access to reading material and television, and is allowed home-cooked food. The ministry asserted Khan underwent approximately 30 examinations by specialists and medical boards from various institutions, and that his sister herself acknowledged he was "100% fit" with normal blood pressure and an improving eye condition.
Authorities explained Khan was taken to the public hospital due to security concerns, as supporters of his party had gathered outside the designated private hospital. The government maintains Khan is being held in a secure compound with adequate facilities and that his access is not used to send political messages from prison. Concerns about Khan's health had previously intensified in late January when his family reported significant vision loss in his right eye, a claim the government disputed.