The 73-year-old cricketer-turned-politician has been in jail since August 2023 after being convicted in a string of cases that he says were politically driven following his ouster in 2022.
Islamabad:
In a big relief to Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan, the country’s top court has ordered that the jailed leader be moved to a private hospital amid concerns over his deteriorating health. The order came in response to a longstanding demand of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and family, who had raised concerns citing his latest medical reports from Adila Jail.
According to PTI spokesperson Naeem Haider Panjutha, the Supreme Court has directed Khan be moved to Shifa International Hospital within 48 hours and remain there until September 16. The court has also ordered weekly meetings between Khand and his family members.
The court said a medical board will be formed to look into Khan’s health. The PTI leader’s personal physician and his sister Dr Uzma Khan will be part of it.
The court has, however, directed Khan’s lawyers and his family to not share his medical reports with media or politicise the issue.
The 73-year-old cricketer-turned-politician has been in jail since August 2023 after being convicted in a string of cases that, according to him, are politically driven following his ouster in 2022.
Since last year, his sons have repeatedly expressed concern regarding his deteriorating health, with his lawyers saying he had lost significant vision in his right eye while in prison.
Others have also joined the chorus, including Pakistan’s former President Arif Alvi, who has claimed that Khan’s health has deteriorated. According to Alvi, the former premier’s medical reports were alarming, showing concern over his anxiety, palpitations and high blood pressure.
In a post on X, Alvi said he had gone through Khan’s medical reports, which he found to be “alarming”
“I have gone through them with several specialists, and I am writing this in plain language so every Pakistani can understand exactly what is happening,” he wrote, adding that what worried him most were Khan’s “anxiety and stress levels”, “palpitations”, and “high blood pressure”. He said sleeplessness was not mentioned in the report but likely indicated by the medications he was taking.
“I have known Imran Khan for more than 35 years. Stress was never his weakness. That it is now at peak levels tells you everything about what three years of imprisonment and total isolation have done to him,” he said.
PTI Welcomes The Move
“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’s other spokesperson Zulfikar Bukhari said.
“He should remain in hospital until all doctors are satisfied,” he said.
Cases Against Imran Khan
Since he lost power in a no-confidence vote, Khan has faced multiple cases, including over state gifts and an unlawful marriage. Some convictions have been suspended or overturned, with appeals pending. He denies wrongdoing.
Cricket greats from around the world, including from across the border in India, demanded better treatment for him in February, expressing “deep concern” about his prison conditions.
PTI won power in 2018 and retains a large support base across key provinces. But it was stripped of its election symbol ahead of the 2024 vote, forcing its candidates to run as independents.
