Imran Khan to be moved to Islamabad hospital

Pakistan's Supreme Court ordered on Tuesday that jailed former prime minister Imran Khan be moved to hospital for medical checks after his lawyers petitioned over claims of poor health.

Justice Shahid Waheed said Khan, 73, would be shifted within the next two days to Shifa International hospital in Islamabad.

There was no immediate information about the details of the health concerns raised in the petition. Khan received eye treatment at a hospital this year, and his family and lawyer said at the time that he had lost most of the vision in his right eye.

Salman Akram Raja, secretary general of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, called Tuesday's ruling “a major step” and urged supporters to follow the party's agreement with the court that there “must not be any crowding or commotion”.

Khan has been in jail since 2023 on corruption charges. Khan and his wife and spiritual guide Bushra Bibi were both sentenced late last year to 17 years in prison.

The former Pakistan cricket captain 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 the 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 triggered nationwide protests in May 2023, some of which turned violent and led to hundreds of arrests.