Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered on Tuesday that imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan be transferred to a private hospital in Islamabad for a medical examination. The decision follows a petition from Khan, who requested access to his personal physicians and family after being held in a high-security prison in Rawalpindi.
The ruling addresses concerns regarding Khan's health, which his lawyers and family have highlighted for several months. Earlier this year, Khan was treated at a government hospital for an eye condition. His family stated in late January that he had lost 85% of the vision in his right eye, though government authorities later reported his vision had improved to 70% and his condition was stable.
A three-judge panel directed that Khan be examined at Shifa International Hospital by a medical board including specialists and his personal physician, Faisal Sultan. The court also ordered prison officials to facilitate weekly family visits and phone calls between Khan and his sons. Previously, authorities had restricted visitors at the Rawalpindi facility, citing intelligence reports of a possible attack on the prison.
The scale of the situation involves the legal rights of a former head of state who retains a significant political following across Pakistan. While the specific costs of the private medical examination were not reported, the shift from government to private care at Shifa International Hospital marks a change in the state's management of his incarceration. A person in Khan's position would notice a shift from the restricted environment of the Rawalpindi garrison prison to a clinical setting in the capital, along with the restoration of weekly communication with family members and phone access to his children.
The knock-on effects of this ruling may influence how Pakistani courts handle future petitions regarding the health and visitation rights of political detainees. The decision sets a precedent for balancing security concerns, such as the previously cited intelligence reports, with constitutional rights to healthcare. Salman Akram Raja, Khan’s lawyer, has urged supporters to remain away from the hospital to avoid disrupting other patients. Khan is expected to be moved to the hospital in the coming days, though a specific date for the examination was not reported.