Key facts
- Pakistan's government will challenge a Supreme Court order to transfer jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan to Shifa International Hospital.
- The Supreme Court directed Khan's transfer within 48 hours for examination by physicians and access to his personal doctor.
- Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar stated the government believes the order is not legally sound.
- Khan has been jailed since August 2023 on charges he claims are politically motivated.
- Khan's lawyers have expressed concerns about his deteriorating health, including vision loss in his right eye.
Pakistan's government has announced its intention to challenge a Supreme Court order that directed the transfer of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan to a private hospital. Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar stated on Wednesday that the ruling was "not within four walls of the law" and that a review petition would be filed.
The Supreme Court had ordered Khan, who has been imprisoned since August 2023, to be moved to Islamabad's Shifa International Hospital within two days for examination by physicians. The court also stipulated that he be allowed weekly meetings with family members and telephone calls with his sons.
Khan, 73, has been convicted in several cases that he maintains are politically motivated. His lawyers and family have repeatedly expressed concerns about his deteriorating health, citing issues such as significant vision loss in his right eye, and have sought better medical care and visitation rights. The court's order came after former President Arif Alvi raised concerns regarding Khan's medical condition.
Tarar explained that the government's legal review concluded that a convicted prisoner should typically be treated either within jail facilities or at a public hospital, according to existing laws. This challenge by the government could diminish hopes for Khan's family and his political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), for improved healthcare and visitation access, and may potentially fuel public discontent over his treatment in custody.