Pakistan’s Top Court Orders Medical Examination for Imprisoned Ex-PM Imran Khan

Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Tuesday directed prison authorities to transport former Prime Minister Imran Khan to a private hospital in Islamabad for a comprehensive medical examination, responding to months of appeals from his family and personal doctors about his deteriorating health and restricted access to care.

The three-judge bench ordered that Khan be taken to Shifa International Hospital in the coming days, where a medical board—including specialists and one of his personal physicians, Faisal Sultan—will assess his condition. The court also instructed prison officials to permit weekly family meetings and phone calls with his sons, easing restrictions that had been in place since earlier this year.

Authorities had barred visitors after intelligence reports warned of a possible attack on the prison where Khan is held in Rawalpindi. Khan’s family had struggled to secure visits and to have him examined by doctors of their choosing.

The ruling came after Khan petitioned the court months ago, requesting transfer from the high-security facility to a hospital and access to his personal physicians, family, and legal team. His lawyer, Salman Akram Raja, said the court acted because Khan’s health was at risk and because constitutional protections guarantee medical care. Raja urged supporters not to gather outside the hospital, to avoid inconveniencing other patients.

Khan, a former cricket star, has been imprisoned since 2023 following a graft conviction. He was removed from office in April 2022 via a no-confidence vote, which he alleges was part of a U.S.-backed conspiracy involving political rivals and former army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa—claims denied by Washington, Pakistan’s military, and his opponents.

Health concerns intensified in late January when his family said he had lost 85% of vision in his right eye, a claim the government disputed. Authorities later said Khan regained about 70% of vision and was improving. Earlier this year, he was treated at a government hospital for an eye condition.

Despite his legal troubles, Khan remains a prominent political figure with a large following.