Pakistan's Supreme Court has ordered that former Prime Minister Imran Khan be transferred from prison to a hospital for medical treatment, his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party said Tuesday, following months of concerns from his family and party over his deteriorating health.
The court directed that Khan, 73, be moved to Shifa International Hospital within 48 hours and remain there until September 16, according to his spokesperson Naeem Haider Panjutha, who announced the order on X.
“It's a very welcome order and we wish it had happened sooner so his eye and general health would not have deteriorated this much,” PTI spokesperson Zulfikar Bukhari said. “Khan should remain in hospital until doctors were satisfied with his condition,”
Khan, a former international cricket star-turned-politician, has been imprisoned since August 2023 after being convicted in a series of cases that he and his supporters say are politically motivated. He was removed from office in 2022 following a parliamentary no-confidence vote.
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His family and lawyers have repeatedly raised concerns about his deteriorating health. His sons had expressed alarm last year, while his lawyers said he had suffered significant loss of vision in his right eye while in custody.
Khan faces several cases, including those involving state gifts and an unlawful marriage.
Some of his convictions have been suspended or overturned, while appeals remain pending. He denies wrongdoing.
PTI remains a major political force in Pakistan despite being stripped of its election symbol before the 2024 general election, forcing its candidates to contest as independents.
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