Islamabad, Aug 22: The sister of jailed former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan on Saturday filed a petition in the Supreme Court, accusing the government and senior officials of violating the top court’s order to shift him to a private hospital for medical examination and treatment.

Uzma Khan has sought contempt proceedings alleging wilful violation of the Supreme Court’s August 18 order.

The Supreme Court had directed authorities to shift 73-year-old Khan from Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad within two days and ordered that he remain there until the next hearing on September 16.

Instead, Khan was taken to the state-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad during the night of August 20-21 for medical examination and treatment before being returned to Adiala Jail.

Khan’s family and leaders of his political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, have termed the move a violation of the Supreme Court order and challenged the official action.

In her petition, Uzma Khan urged the top court to initiate contempt proceedings against the respondents for their “wilful, deliberate and contumacious disobedience and violation” of the August 18 order.

The respondents include Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, and several senior government officials, including Adiala Jail Superintendent Sajid Baig.

The petition contended that the court was being approached in light of the “non-compliance and brazen violations” of the Supreme Court’s order by the respondents. “It is clear from the respondents’ own admissions that the court directions contained in the August 18 order were violated,” it said.

It said the failure to shift Khan to Shifa International Hospital “leaves no manner of doubt” that the respondents had consciously chosen to disregard and violate the top court’s order. It also said the respondents’ conduct undermined the authority of the Supreme Court and warranted cognisance by the court.

The petition further requested the Supreme Court to issue show-cause notices to the respondents and direct them to appear personally. It also sought appropriate punishment against the respondents and asked the court to take all necessary steps to implement its directions for Khan’s medical examination.

The government, however, has defended its decision to take Khan to PIMS rather than Shifa, citing security concerns.

Two specialists from Shifa International Hospital also participated in Khan’s eye examination at PIMS, according to the hospital administration. They said that PIMS specialists conducted other medical examinations on Khan as well.

Meanwhile, the government has petitioned the Supreme Court seeking a review and recall of its order to shift the former cricketer-turned-politician to a private hospital, arguing that the order was discriminatory because it applied only to Khan and could set a precedent for other prisoners to seek treatment at private hospitals.

The Supreme Court’s order followed months of concern raised by Khan’s family and supporters over his health, particularly an eye condition diagnosed earlier this year. Khan was taken to PIMS several times after his right central retinal vein occlusion was detected in late January.

A report submitted by jail authorities to the Supreme Court said Khan’s eye condition had improved significantly and his vision was “almost normal”.

Khan has been in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail since 2023 in connection with several cases.

His supporters have continued to protest against his incarceration. His relatives and party colleagues have repeatedly alleged human rights violations and accused authorities of restricting his access to adequate medical care, family visits and legal counsel. The government has rejected such allegations.

The Supreme Court’s August 18 order was issued while it was hearing several identical petitions following Khan’s eye ailment. The petitioners had sought his transfer to a private hospital, saying they were not satisfied with the treatment he was receiving at government hospitals.

Toronto, Aug 22: Two men, including a priest, were injured after a 27-year-old man stabbed them with a screwdriver inside a gurdwara in Canada’s Edmonton, with police investigating whether the attack was hate-motivated, authorities said.

The incident took place at Nanaksar Sikh Gurdwara in northeast Edmonton around 5 am (local time) on Friday, police said, adding the suspect entered the gurdwara and attempted to access the prayer area before he was confronted by the staff.

The confrontation escalated and two men, aged 75 and 51, were stabbed, Edmonton Police Service (EPS) said in a statement on Friday.

Witnesses intervened and detained the suspect until police arrived and arrested him, it said.

The two injured men were taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, while the suspect was also injured and taken to the hospital, CBC News reported.

Prime Minister Mark Carney condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with the Sikh community.

“The attack at the Nanaksar Gurdwara in Edmonton this morning is appalling. My thoughts are with the two people who were injured and the wider community that is shaken by this terrible event,” Carney said in a post on X.

“No one should ever feel unsafe in their place of worship. I want to thank the Edmonton Police Service for their swift response,” he said.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith condemned Friday’s act of violence against the Sikh community and called for reforms to federal bail and parole laws, CBC News reported.

“Everyone deserves to feel safe in their communities and places of worship, and we will continue to defend that right,” Smith said, adding that the attack underscored the need for the federal government to take bail and parole reform seriously.

Naheed Nenshi, leader of Alberta’s official opposition, described the violence at the Edmonton temple as shocking and said crimes in places of worship were particularly disturbing and had left members of the community shaken, the report said.

Police said the suspect had been seen walking in traffic on Highway 15 shortly before the stabbing, Global News reported.

The suspect, who was known to police, has an extensive history of violent attacks dating back to 2015, police said. He had been released from a federal prison in Alberta the day before the attack, and failed to report to his designated halfway house in Edmonton, officials said.

A designated halfway house is a transitional residential facility designed to help individuals safely reintegrate into society.

The EPS Investigative Response Team has taken over the case and is working with the Hate Crimes Unit to determine whether the attack was motivated by hate. Police said charges are pending against the suspect.

Nanaksar Gurdwara Gursikh Temple vice-president Zora Grewal identified the injured men as a temple priest and a longtime volunteer, CBC News reported.

Grewal said the suspect allegedly used a screwdriver and stabbed the priest repeatedly before attacking the elderly volunteer. He said no Sikh scripture was damaged in the incident, the report added.

EPS Chief Warren Driechel said the incident had not resulted in more serious injuries or deaths but acknowledged the trauma caused to the victims and the Sikh community.

“This level of violence has no place in our city,” he said, adding that police were taking the incident and the safety of Edmonton’s Sikh community seriously.

World Sikh Organisation of Canada president Danish Singh said, “We are asking gurdwaras across Canada to review and strengthen their security procedures and to remain vigilant,” CBC News reported.

Friday’s stabbing comes days after two Sikh temples in Alberta received threatening phone calls. Calgary police said the two temples, both located in the city’s northeast, received threatening calls from the same number on August 15, the report added.

Police said they were working closely with the temples as the investigation continued, but there was no indication of an active threat to the wider community.

Geneva, Aug 22: An 18-year-old man with a sword attacked a school Friday in central Sweden, leaving one person dead and at least two others seriously injured, a police chief said.

Police Chief Tommy Alriksson told a news conference that the suspect had been arrested following the attack at the school in the central town of Fagersta, northwest of the capital, Stockholm.

Police confirmed that shots were fired during the arrest. It was not clear whether the suspect had been injured, but he was being held in custody — not treated in a hospital.

The attack took place at the Brinell School in Fagersta while classes were in session, with about 400 to 500 students, officials said. There was no immediate word on the attacker’s possible motive.

“We have no reason at this time to believe that there are multiple perpetrators,” Alriksson said, adding that an investigation was continuing.

Sweden’s national police said investigators have already carried out two house searches in connection with the suspect. Many witnesses were expected to be interviewed as part of the investigation.

“That’s why we can’t give out too much information, because we don’t want to influence witnesses,” Alriksson said.

Vastmanland County, where the town is located, said the two seriously injured boys were between 12 and 17 years old, the TT news agency reported. It did not provide details about the dead person.

Police spokesperson Pelle Vamstad, quoted by TT, said an alarm was received in the early afternoon Friday. Police cordoned off a wide area around the school as part of their response. Several nearby schools had been locked down following the incident, and roadblocks were set up, authorities said.

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, in a post earlier on the X social media platform, lamented the violence in Fagersta “right after the summer break.”

“We do not yet know what lies behind the act, but we know that the police are working very intensively,” he added. “Our thoughts are with all those affected.”

The Fagersta city government set up a crisis center in a sports hall near the school. The Vastmanland County government said “many people” were affected and that police, fire services, and healthcare workers were among those caring for them.