Imran Khan's Hospital Transfer Sparks Contempt Battle

Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan was returned to Adiala Jail early Friday, hours after a court-ordered medical evaluation, but the detour through a public hospital instead of the designated private facility has ignited a legal confrontation. His sister, Uzma Khan, filed a contempt petition in the Supreme Court on Saturday, accusing the government and senior officials of violating the court's August 18 order.

The Supreme Court had directed that Khan, 73, be transferred to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad within two days, where he was to remain until his next hearing on September 16. The order followed a petition by his lawyers expressing concerns over his health, particularly his right-eye condition. Instead, Khan was taken to the state-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) on the night of August 20–21, examined, and then returned to jail by early Friday.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the switch was due to the "security situation" caused by Khan's supporters at the private clinic. He wrote on X that a team of qualified doctors—including an ophthalmologist, a cardiologist, and a physician—examined Khan and declared him medically fit. Tarar added that Khan's sister, Uzma Khan, a medical doctor, was present during the examination.

The government's account has been disputed. Khan's sister and his personal physician, Faisal Sultan, described the night as a story of confusion and "failure" by the government to follow the court's order. They said Khan was taken to PIMS after waiting for hours outside Shifa, where a heavy police presence had gathered. A journalist estimated 400 to 500 supporters had assembled by nightfall, and an official outside Shifa reportedly told a journalist, "This isn't the place, go to PIMS."

Khan's personal physician was driven to Shifa at about 12:30am, waited for nearly three hours, and then was told at 4:30am that Khan was not coming. Khan's sister said there were no blood tests during the examination and that doctors treating him did not know which eye drops he had been prescribed. She quoted Khan as saying he had been held in isolation for ten months without reading material or television, and that his blood pressure readings had been dismissed by jail doctors. She also quoted him as saying, "This is what they did to Morsi," referring to Egypt's former president Mohamed Morsi.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party disputed the government's security rationale, stating it had instructed workers to stay away from Shifa and noting there were no independent reports of disturbances near the hospital that night. PTI leaders reacted with criticism, calling the switch to PIMS a violation and preparing a contempt petition. A PTI statement alleged that sending Faisal Sultan to Shifa was a deliberate decoy while Khan was taken to PIMS in a separate convoy.

In her petition, Uzma Khan sought contempt proceedings against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, and Adiala Jail Superintendent Sajid Baig, among others, accusing them of "wilful, deliberate and contumacious disobedience" of the court's order. The petition quoted respondents' own admissions of violation and requested show-cause notices and personal appearance. The government has defended its decision, citing security concerns, and has petitioned the Supreme Court for review and recall of the order, arguing it was discriminatory and could set a precedent.

The court order had followed months of concern over Khan's eye condition, including a central retinal vein occlusion detected in late January. A report submitted by jail authorities said his vision had improved significantly and was "almost normal." The court directed that Khan's transfer should not be politicized and warned against public gatherings or use of health information for political gain, cautioning that breaches could lead to the order being reversed.

Khan, a former cricket star who led Pakistan to a World Cup victory in 1992, has been imprisoned since August 2023 on corruption charges. He and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were sentenced to 17 years in prison late last year. Khan and his party maintain the cases are politically motivated. His arrest in May 2023 triggered nationwide protests, some violent, leading to hundreds of arrests. Khan was ousted as prime minister in a no-confidence vote in April 2022. During his tenure, his party made little headway improving Pakistan's economy, which faced galloping inflation, crippling debt, and a feeble rupee.

The case returns to court on September 16, and PTI lawyers plan to raise the events of Friday before then. The confrontation has deepened the standoff between Khan's supporters and the government, with the judiciary now at the centre of the dispute over his detention and medical care.