Pakistan’s Supreme Court has directed that former prime minister Imran Khan be shifted from prison to a hospital for medical treatment, his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said on Tuesday, according to Reuters.
The court has ordered that Khan, 73, be transferred to Shifa International Hospital within 48 hours and remain there until September 16, Khan’s spokesperson Naeem Haider Panjutha said in a post on X.
The order follows repeated calls from Khan’s family and party for him to receive specialised medical care amid concerns over his health. His lawyers have previously claimed that he suffered significant loss of vision in his right eye while in custody, while his sons had also raised concerns about his deteriorating health, Reuters reported.
PTI spokesperson Zulfikar Bukhari welcomed the court’s decision, saying the order should have come earlier to prevent further deterioration of Khan’s eye and overall health.
“He should remain in hospital until all doctors are satisfied,” Bukhari said.
Khan has been in prison since August 2023 after being convicted in several cases. He has denied wrongdoing and has repeatedly alleged that the cases against him are politically motivated.
Since his removal from office through a no-confidence vote in 2022, the former premier has faced multiple legal cases, including those involving state gifts and an unlawful marriage. Some of his convictions have been suspended or overturned, while several appeals remain pending.
Khan’s PTI won the 2018 general election and continues to command significant support in several parts of Pakistan. However, the party was stripped of its election symbol ahead of the 2024 elections, forcing many of its candidates to contest as independents.
