Pakistan's government will challenge a Supreme Court decision directing authorities to move jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan to a private hospital, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said in a video statement, Reuters reported.
The Supreme Court's order, issued on Tuesday, directed the government to shift Khan to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad within two days and ensure he was given access to his personal physician, according to a copy of the order seen by Reuters.
The ruling also called for a medical panel, including a cardiologist and an eye specialist, to assess his condition.
"This order is not within four walls of the law," Tarar said in the statement issued Tuesday night, adding that authorities had deliberated the ruling and decided to seek a review from the court, according to the report.
He reportedly said that under law, a convicted prisoner must be treated either within jail premises or at a public hospital, and that the government's review appeal would seek a modification of the order, it added.
Khan, 73, has been imprisoned in Rawalpindi since August 2023, convicted in a series of cases he maintains were politically motivated following his fallout with Pakistan's military establishment and his removal from office the previous year, according to the report.
His sons had repeatedly raised concerns over his deteriorating health last year, with his lawyers saying he had lost significant vision in his right eye while in custody.
His Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party welcomed the court's order, calling for it to be implemented "immediately, fully, and without delay."
The court order also directed authorities to facilitate a telephone call twice a week between Khan and his two sons, who live in London.
ALSO READ: Pakistan SC Orders Moving Imran Khan To Hospital From Jail Amid Health Concerns
His younger son, Kasim, said in a statement shared with Reuters that his father's health was "all that mattered," adding, "We hope the government adheres to the court orders...allows calls and issues our visas to Pakistan simply so we can come and see him."
Kasim and his elder brother Sulaiman, raised in Britain following Khan's divorce from British socialite and filmmaker Jemima Goldsmith, have not reportedly seen their father since 2022 due to the absence of a visa.
Since being ousted in a 2022 parliamentary no-confidence vote, Khan has faced multiple cases, including those related to state gifts, allegedly instigating attacks on military installations, and an unlawful marriage accusation.
All but one of his convictions have since been suspended or overturned, with appeals pending, and he denies any wrongdoing.
ALSO READ: Pakistan Arrests Over 100 Imran Khan Supporters During Nationwide PTI Protests
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