Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered that imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan must be moved to a hospital after his party and family raised concerns about his health.
Khan, 73, has been in jail since August 2023, convicted in a string of cases that he says were politically driven following his ousting from office in 2022.
The cricketer-turned-politician's sons have been warning about his deteriorating health since last year. His lawyers say he has lost significant vision in his right eye while in prison.
The court ordered that Khan be moved to Shifa International Hospital within 48 hours and remain there until September 16, his spokesman Naeem Haider Panjutha said on X.
“Mindful of the fundamental right, we are issuing this order to ensure health and safety of the prisoner,” said Justice Shahid Waheed, head of the three-judge bench that heard the petition.
The court also ordered the creation of a medical panel for Khan's treatment, to include his personal doctor, a cardiologist, a general medicine specialist and an eye specialist.
“It's a very welcome order and we wish it had happened sooner so his eye and general health would not have deteriorated this much,” said Zulfikar Bukhari, a spokesman for Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party. “He should remain in hospital until all doctors are satisfied.”
Khan's party urged its members and supporters not to gather outside the hospital, in accordance with the court’s order.
There was no immediate reaction to the court ruling from the government.
Khan has faced multiple charges, including over allegedly misappropriating state gifts and unlawful marriage, since he lost power in a no-confidence vote in April 2022. Some convictions have been suspended or overturned, with appeals pending. He denies wrongdoing.
Prominent cricketers around the world, including from across the border in India, demanded better treatment for him in February, expressing “deep concern” about his prison conditions.
The PTI won power in 2018 and retains a large support base across key provinces. But it was stripped of its election symbol before the 2024 election, forcing its candidates to run as independents.
