Pakistan’s Supreme Court orders jailed ex-PM Imran Khan to be moved to hospital for treatment

The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday ordered that jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan be moved to hospital for medical treatment, his political party said.

The directive meets a longstanding demand by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party and his family who have been raising concerns about his health and incarceration conditions.

The court ordered the authorities to take Khan to hospital within 48 hours, party spokesperson Naeem Haider Panjutha said. He will remain in hospital till September 16.

The 73-year-old cricketer-turned-politician was arrested in August 2023 and has been in Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail since September 2023. He is facing several criminal cases, mostly linked to alleged corruption.

Khan’s son Kasim had said in February that the family has been informed that the former prime minister has “lost most of the vision in his right eye, with reports indicating only 15% eyesight remains”.

On Tuesday, the bench was hearing cases relating to Khan allegedly not being allowed to meet his sisters and personal physicians, and about his medical record, The Express Tribune reported.

The order came after a medical board report submitted to the court recommended frequent meetings between Khan and his family to help manage his anxiety and blood pressure, the newspaper reported.

The court also granted Khan’s personal physician permission to meet the former prime minister. However, it directed Khan’s family...

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