Pakistan SC Orders Imran Khan’s Transfer To Islamabad Hospital For Medical Examination

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Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered authorities to shift jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan to Islamabad’s Shifa International Hospital for a comprehensive medical examination within the next few days.

A three-member bench led by Justice Shahid Waheed passed the order while hearing petitions seeking Khan’s hospitalisation and meetings with his family.

The court cited his fundamental right to life and access to medical care. It directed authorities to arrange weekly meetings between Khan and his family.

The court ordered the formation of a medical board. Khan’s personal physician and sister Uzma Khan will be associated with it.

The ruling followed a health report submitted by the Adiala jail superintendent, where Khan has remained imprisoned since August 2023.

According to Dawn, PIMS doctor Akhtar Ali Bandeshah examined Khan on August 1. He recorded complaints of fluctuating and uncontrolled blood pressure, palpitations, headaches and restlessness.

Khan reportedly attributed some stress to restricted contact with his wife, family and social circle. He lacked access to newspapers and television.

The doctor recommended measures to reduce mental stress. These included more frequent meetings with his wife and access to reading material. He advised a CT coronary angiography and increased blood-pressure medication, warning of possible complications.

Khan had approached the Supreme Court in May seeking transfer to Shifa International Hospital, access to personal doctors, family and lawyers, and the sharing of medical records with relatives.

Last month, UN Special Rapporteur Alice Jill Edwards raised concerns over his detention conditions and access to medical care. She further called for humane conditions and treatment of his choice.

Edwards said Khan had spent 33 months in near-total solitary confinement. She cited reports of untreated medical issues, a spinal injury from a 2013 accident and bullet wounds from a November 2022 assassination attempt.

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Pragati Upadhyay

I report stories and occasionally rescue facts from chaos. By profession, I’m a journalist; by conviction, a social worker who believes words should move people, not just headlines. I question power, celebrate ordinary heroes, and sometimes irritate the comfortable. If truth had a shift, I’d probably be working overtime.