Imran’s health must rise above politics

August 20, 2026

Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar is right on one important point: Imran Khan’s health should not become another battlefield in Pakistan’s bitter political conflict.

Medical treatment is a basic human matter. It should be decided by doctors, medical reports and established rules — not by political parties, television debates or social media campaigns. The same principle should apply to the Supreme Court’s orders. Once the highest court of the country has issued a ruling, political leaders should show restraint and allow the legal process to take its course.

Tarar has said that the government has been providing Imran with healthcare facilities according to prison rules. He has also supported the government’s decision to seek a review of the Supreme Court’s order regarding Imran’s transfer to Shifa International Hospital.

The government has the right to challenge a judicial order through legal channels. That is part of the democratic and constitutional system. But the dispute should remain inside that system and should not become another excuse for political confrontation.

At the same time, the minister must recognise a difficult reality of Pakistan: almost everything eventually becomes political.

Imran Khan’s imprisonment is political in the eyes of his supporters. His legal cases are political issues. His meetings with family members become political news. Even his health has become a subject of intense political debate.

This is precisely why the government has a greater responsibility to ensure that his medical treatment is beyond suspicion.

The Supreme Court’s decision to allow Imran access to better medical care and regular family contact should therefore not be viewed simply through the lens of PTI versus PML-N. It should be seen as a matter of basic human rights and the dignity of a prisoner.

The order was, in our view, an overdue relief for Imran Khan.

Whatever political differences exist with the former prime minister, those differences should not determine the quality of his medical care. If he needs treatment, he should receive it. If specialists are required, they should examine him. If his family needs access to him for legitimate reasons, the law should provide it.

The government should continue its legal challenge if it believes the Supreme Court order needs modification. But until then, there should be no political theatre around Imran’s health.

Health should come before politics — and the law should remain above both.