Pakistan’s top court has ordered former prime minister Imran Khan, 73, to be moved from Rawalpindi jail to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad within 48 hours and to remain there until September 16, citing urgent health concerns after a year of deteriorating vision and other ailments.
A three‑judge bench mandated a medical panel comprising a cardiologist, general physician, eye specialist and Khan’s personal doctor, and granted weekly family visits and telephone calls. The order, issued on August 18, follows Khan’s imprisonment since August 2023 on a slate of corruption cases he calls politically motivated; PTI spokesperson Zulfikar Bukhari praised the decision but lamented its delay. Government ministries have not commented.
The ruling is expected to temper street protests by Khan’s supporters, as the court warned against gatherings outside the hospital, and may reduce short‑term political volatility ahead of any electoral calculations. Observers note the judiciary’s assertion of constitutional duty to safeguard prisoner health, which could modestly influence risk assessments for investors monitoring South‑Asian stability.
Reports differ on the government’s stance: some accounts describe an outright denial of rights to Khan and his family, while others note the ministries simply offered no comment. Additionally, only some sources explicitly mention the weekly family contact provision, highlighting a minor inconsistency in the public record.