ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (Diya TV ) — Pakistan’s Supreme Court has ordered authorities to move former Prime Minister Imran Khan from prison to a private hospital in Islamabad for medical treatment.
The court ordered Khan’s transfer to Shifa International Hospital within 48 hours. He will remain there through Sept. 16, according to his spokesperson, Naeem Haider Panjutha. The court also ordered the formation of a medical board to oversee his care.
The decision followed medical records submitted to the court by authorities at Adiala Jail. Officials said Khan’s eyesight had improved significantly after treatment at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences. They described his vision as almost normal.
However, the medical records also showed several other health concerns. Khan reported heart palpitations, headaches, restlessness and severe anxiety. Doctors recommended that he have more frequent contact with his wife and family. They said those interactions could help manage his anxiety and blood pressure.
The court also ordered Khan’s family to meet him at the hospital. It allowed him to speak with his two sons, Kasim and Sulaiman, who live in the United Kingdom. The medical board will include Khan’s sister, Uzma Khan, and his personal doctor, Dr. Faisal Sultan.
Zulfiqar Ali Bukhari, a close aide and adviser to Khan, said the former prime minister should have received hospital care sooner. He also said Khan should remain under medical supervision until doctors consider his condition stable.
Khan’s lawyer, Uzair Bhandari, said the court’s decision met several long-standing demands from Khan’s political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or PTI. The party has repeatedly raised concerns about Khan’s health and access to his family and doctors.
PTI has also criticized the conditions of Khan’s imprisonment. The party has claimed that authorities kept him in isolation and prevented regular meetings for more than eight months. Bukhari recently described the restrictions as cruel and said they could harm Khan’s physical and mental well-being.
Government officials have rejected claims that Khan lacks proper medical care. Rana Sanaullah, an adviser to the current prime minister, said before Tuesday’s ruling that Khan had access to the best available treatment. He also questioned the level of concern expressed by PTI.
Another statement focused on Khan’s heart rate. His reported resting rate stood at 54 beats per minute. Supporters said that number marked a significant change because Khan had maintained a resting heart rate in the low 40s for much of his adult life as a former elite athlete.
Khan became Pakistan’s prime minister in 2018 after a political career that followed his success as an international cricket star. Parliament removed him from office in April 2022 through a no-confidence vote.
Since then, Khan has faced several criminal cases. Courts have acquitted him in some matters, including cases involving official secrets and his marriage to Bushra Bibi. However, he continues to serve a 14-year prison sentence in a corruption case.
Khan and his wife also received sentences in December 2025 in a separate case involving state gifts. Both convictions remain under appeal. Khan has denied wrongdoing, while PTI says the cases against him have political motives.
