Former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan was transferred back to Adiala jail after a court‑ordered medical evaluation, ending a 48‑hour detention at a hospital and keeping him in place pending a September 16 hearing on his 17‑year sentence.
The Supreme Court ordered on Tuesday, Aug 18, that Khan be taken within 48 hours to Shifa International Hospital for treatment after his lawyers raised health concerns. Government information minister Attaullah Tarar said security threats forced a move to the public Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, where a team of ophthalmologists, cardiologists and physicians examined Khan alongside his wife Bushra Bibi and sister Dr Uzma Khan.
Khan’s continued incarceration preserves the status quo of Pakistan’s volatile political landscape, leaving the PTI party without its leader as legal challenges proceed and the government prepares to contest the Supreme Court’s hospital directive. The episode underscores ongoing tensions between the judiciary, security forces and Khan’s supporters, who have staged protests since his May 2023 arrest.
The reports differ on the hospital used: one account says Khan was examined at the private Shifa International Hospital, while another states he was taken to the public Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences because of security concerns, and a third source mentions Shifa as the intended venue before the change.