SC orders Imran’s transfer to Shifa Hospital

The Supreme Court has directed authorities to transfer Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan from Adiala Jail to Shifa International Hospital for medical assessment and treatment.

The order was issued by a three-member bench headed by Justice Shahid Waheed. Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim were also part of the bench.

The court was hearing petitions related to Imran’s medical treatment, access to his personal doctors and meetings with family members.

The bench also ordered authorities to submit Imran’s complete medical record before the next hearing. Justice Waheed questioned why the court had been provided with only a summary instead of the full medical file.

The judge said the court wanted the complete record to properly assess Imran’s health condition.

The matter came under discussion after a medical report submitted by Adiala Jail authorities highlighted concerns about Imran’s health. Justice Waheed noted that the reports indicated abnormalities in his pulse and heart condition and suggested that his vital organs could be affected.

The bench also discussed a recommendation for angiography. Justice Afghan asked whether the procedure could be performed inside the jail.

The Islamabad advocate general told the court that angiography could be carried out at a hospital outside the prison.

PTI lawyer Uzair Bhandari raised concerns about the cause of an alleged blood clot and requested access for Imran’s personal physicians.

He sought permission for Dr Asim Yusuf and Dr Faisal Sultan to meet Imran. The court discussed the qualifications of the doctors proposed for the visit and noted that no formal challenge had been made to the doctors who had already examined the former premier.

The court also addressed the issue of media statements following meetings with Imran.

Bhandari assured the bench that family members and doctors would not speak to the media after meeting the PTI founder.

The Islamabad advocate general said an earlier undertaking regarding media interactions had allegedly been breached. The matter is also pending before the Islamabad High Court.

Senior PTI lawyer Salman Akram Raja argued that responsibility should not automatically be placed on others if an undertaking had been violated.

Justice Waheed warned that if contempt proceedings were initiated against officials for violating court directions, similar action could also be considered against lawyers or other individuals who breached court orders.

The bench said the PTI and Imran’s family would have to provide an undertaking that no media briefing would take place after meetings.

Justice Afghan also urged the PTI to avoid turning Imran’s medical condition into a political dispute.

The court separately examined restrictions on meetings between Imran and his sisters.

Justice Waheed said meeting family members was a fundamental right and should not be treated as a special favour.

Authorities told the court that Imran had met his sisters 48 times during the past three years.

The court ordered officials to submit complete details of all those meetings. It also sought records concerning Imran’s communication with his sons, including call detail records.

The bench further directed authorities to provide comprehensive information about the cases against Imran. The court wants details of cases in which he is an under-trial prisoner, cases resulting in convictions and matters where sentences have been suspended.

Adiala Jail officials were summoned to appear before the court at the next hearing.

The court also questioned the implementation of Islamabad High Court directions concerning meetings with Imran. The Islamabad advocate general said the matter was pending before the high court in an intra-court appeal.

The hearing was adjourned until after the summer vacation.

Medical report submitted to court

A two-page medical report submitted by the Adiala Jail superintendent provided details of Imran’s treatment and health monitoring during his imprisonment.

The report said Imran had received treatment from ophthalmologists in Islamabad and Rawalpindi for central retinal vein occlusion, an eye condition diagnosed previously.

According to the report, his affected eye had shown significant improvement and had almost returned to normal vision.

The report also contained a summary of 39 medical examinations conducted by various specialists between November 4, 2023 and August 10, 2026.

Several government doctors examined Imran during this period. Jail authorities said records of the consultations had been maintained.

Medical officers at the jail also monitored his food and fluid intake three times a day and conducted regular health checks.

The report stated that Imran and his wife had been meeting every Tuesday under jail rules. A total of 84 such meetings had reportedly taken place.