Law & Justice
Imran Khan back in jail as PTI challenges hospital checks
Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan was returned to Adiala Jail on Friday after court-ordered medical checks in Islamabad, while his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party criticised authorities for taking him to a public hospital instead of the private hospital named by the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court ordered on Tuesday that Khan, 73, be taken to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad for treatment after his lawyers filed a petition over health concerns.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar wrote on X that Khan was taken instead to a public hospital because of the “security situation” caused by supporters at the private clinic. A previous account identified the public hospital as the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences.
Tarar said a team of doctors, including an ophthalmologist, a cardiologist and a physician, examined Khan and declared him medically fit before he was transferred back to jail.
Provincial MP Sohail Afridi, a senior PTI leader, said authorities “don’t even take the court seriously” and called the handling of the visit “against the whole judicial system”. He said the party would file a contempt of court case.
Khan’s sister Uzma Khan, a medical doctor who was present during the examination, said her brother told her he was not well and complained of having no books and no human contact. She said only his eye was checked and that the family was not satisfied with the treatment.
“Solitary confinement is torture, and Khan has been subjected to it for the past 10 months,” she said.
Khan’s personal physician Faisal Sultan, whom the court said would be involved in the medical checks, said he waited at Shifa International Hospital during the night before being told Khan would not be taken there.
Hundreds of police were deployed near Shifa late on Thursday, and roads leading to the hospital were cordoned off before the expected transfer. Dozens of Khan supporters waited outside. The court had warned against public gatherings on the hospital grounds or the use of information about Khan’s health for political gain, saying breaches could lead to the order being reversed.
The next court hearing was set for September 16.
Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were both sentenced late last year to 17 years in prison in a case Khan says was politically motivated. Khan was prime minister from 2018 to 2022 before being removed in a no-confidence vote during a political crisis over tensions between his government and Pakistan’s military establishment.
Khan has since faced multiple legal cases on corruption and other charges. Khan and PTI say the cases are politically motivated. His arrest in May 2023 triggered nationwide protests, some of which turned violent and led to hundreds of arrests.
Update
Provincial MP Sohail Afridi, a senior PTI leader, criticised the handling of the hospital visit and said the party would file a contempt of court case.
Khan’s sister Uzma Khan said only his eye was checked and that the family was not satisfied with the treatment.
Uzma Khan said her brother complained of having no books and no human contact, and described his solitary confinement as torture.
Khan’s personal physician Faisal Sultan said he waited at Shifa International Hospital but was later told Khan would not be taken there.
Senior PTI leader Haleem Adil Sheikh said the party had lost hope that Khan would receive better treatment after the hospital change and return to jail.
Source note: AFP news report published on 21 August 2026 at 09:10:25 UTC.
Update
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Khan was taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad, not the private Shifa International Hospital named in the Supreme Court order.
Tarar attributed the change of hospital to the security situation caused by Khan's supporters at the private clinic.
Source note: AFP news report published on 21 August 2026 at 06:16:38 UTC.
Update
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Khan was examined by doctors including an ophthalmologist, a cardiologist and a physician.
Tarar said Khan's sister Uzma Khan, a medical doctor, was present during the examination.
The next court hearing was set for September 16.
Khan previously received eye treatment this year, and his family and lawyer said at the time that he had lost most vision in his right eye.
Source note: AFP news report published on 21 August 2026 at 04:56:32 UTC.
Update
Pakistan's information minister Attaullah Tarar said a team of doctors declared Imran Khan medically fit after hospital checks.
Tarar said Khan was transferred back to Adiala Jail after the process was completed.
Source note: AFP news report published on 21 August 2026 at 04:18:42 UTC.
Update
Pakistan's government said Imran Khan was taken back to jail after hospital checks.
Source note: AFP news report published on 21 August 2026 at 04:05:22 UTC.
Update
Imran Khan was moved to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad, according to his party spokesman.
PTI spokesman Zulfi Bukhari said the Supreme Court order had been complied with.
Former president Arif Alvi also confirmed Khan's transfer on X.
Police were deployed near the hospital and roads leading to it were cordoned off.
Supporters gathered near the private hospital.
Source note: AFP news report published on 20 August 2026 at 22:08:04 UTC.
Update
Pakistan's government will challenge the Supreme Court order to move Imran Khan to hospital for medical checks.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said the ruling did not fall within the law.
The government is asking for Khan's medical tests to be carried out at a government hospital.
Source note: AFP news report published on 19 August 2026 at 07:09:23 UTC.
Update
The court said Khan may speak to his sons by telephone twice a week.
Khan's personal physician Faisal Sultan and sister Uzma Khan may remain associated with his examination and treatment.
A medical board including eye, internal medicine and cardiology specialists will be established for Khan's treatment.
The judges warned against public gatherings at the hospital or using Khan's health information for political gain.
The next hearing was set for September 16.
Source note: AFP news report published on 18 August 2026 at 13:53:51 UTC.
Update
Sardar Masroof Khan, a member of PTI's legal team, said Khan's family would be allowed to meet him once a week.
The lawyer said the court stated that Khan's sister Uzma Khan, a medical doctor, would be with him during treatment.
Source note: AFP news report published on 18 August 2026 at 12:36:23 UTC.
Update
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf secretary general Salman Akram Raja called the ruling a major step and a major decision.
Raja urged supporters to respect the party's agreement with the court that there must not be crowding or commotion.
There was no immediate information on the details of the health concerns in Khan's lawyers' petition.
Source note: AFP news report published on 18 August 2026 at 09:39:36 UTC.
Update
Imran Khan's lawyers petitioned over claims of poor health.
Khan and his wife were both sentenced late last year to 17 years in prison.
Khan received eye treatment this year, and his family and lawyer say he has lost most of the vision in his right eye.
Khan and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf say the cases against him are politically motivated.
Source note: AFP news report published on 18 August 2026 at 08:46:15 UTC.
Update
Justice Shahid Waheed said Imran Khan will be shifted within the next two days to Shifa International hospital in Islamabad.
The order followed a petition by Khan's lawyers over claims of poor health.
Khan is 73 and has been in jail since 2023 on corruption charges.
Source note: AFP news report published on 18 August 2026 at 08:37:26 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The item does not give an independent medical assessment of Khan’s health beyond the government account and family criticism.
The source text says Khan was taken to a public hospital, while the matched published story identifies it as the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences.
Source
AFP news report published on .