In brief
Following a Supreme Court mandate, Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan was sent back to prison after a team of doctors at Islamabad’s Shifa International Hospital declared him medically fit. The court had required the transfer within 48 hours amid concerns over his eyesight and other health conditions. The decision comes after months of limited access to specialist care and limited family visits, with accusations that the earlier imprisonment was politically driven. Khan’s supporters have protested outside the hospital, warning that a buildup would breach the court’s order. The political party KT with his arrest continues to contest the fairness of the judicial actions.
Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan was moved back to prison early Friday after doctors at Islamabad’s Shifa International Hospital declared him "medically fit".
Khan was seen by a team of qualified doctors including an ophthalmologist, a cardiologist and a physician, Pakistani information minister Attaullah Tarar said. The Supreme Court had ordered on Tuesday that the ex‑leader be examined in the hospital within 48 hours following complaints about his health and restricted family visits.
He has been in prison since August 2023 on corruption charges many of whom argue are politically motivated. The most significant court relief since his incarceration was the hospital transfer and the permission for his sister Azma Khan to visit overnight. She was present throughout the overnight medical examination, Tarar said.
Khan’s political party, Tehreek‑e‑Insaf (PTI), often claims court decisions against him are the result of political manoeuvring. The party has not admitted speculation that the Supreme Court’s decision reflects an underlying political strategy.
The Shifa International Hospital area was sealed off by police with barriers, officers and police vans in place. Outside the hospital the BBC saw cars being moved with a truck to clear the street while police and armoured vehicles patrolled.
The Supreme Court warned Khan’s party not to hold news conferences outside the hospital, urging supporters not to protest or gather there – a move to prevent politicisation of his hospital stay.
Khan, who previously captained Pakistan’s national cricket team, served as country’s prime minister from 2018 to 2022. He has faced over 100 criminal cases, from alleged state secret leaks to sale of gifts, all of which he has described as politically motivated. He and wife Bushra Bibi were sentenced to 17 years in 2025.
Despite his jailing, Khan remains a significant political force with a large following, though his arrest sparked large‑scale protests that were met with a crackdown by authorities.
