SRINAGAR: Pakistan’s Supreme Court has directed authorities to shift jailed former prime minister Imran Khan to a hospital for medical treatment, his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said on Tuesday.
According to Khan’s spokesperson Naeem Haider Panjutha, the court has ordered that the 73-year-old former premier be moved to Shifa International Hospital within 48 hours and remain there until September 16.
الحمدللہ ،اللہ تعالی کے فضل اور آپ سب کی جدوجہد سے پہلی منزل طے ہوئی اب اگلی منزل رہائی ہے ،انشاء اللہ اللہ تعالی سرخروع کرے گا pic.twitter.com/7FGVFdKeiB
— Naeem Haider Panjutha (@NaeemPanjuthaa) August 18, 2026
The order follows repeated demands by Khan’s family, lawyers and party leaders for better medical care amid concerns over his health in prison.
سپریم کورٹ کا عمران خان کو آج سے اگلے 48 گھنٹوں میں 16 ستمبر تک شفا ہسپتال منتقل کرنے کا حکم
— Naeem Haider Panjutha (@NaeemPanjuthaa) August 18, 2026
PTI spokesperson Zulfikar Bukhari welcomed the court’s decision, saying Khan should have been moved to hospital earlier.
“It is a very welcome order and we wish it had happened sooner so his eye and general health would not have deteriorated this much,” Bukhari said.
A very welcomed and just decision by the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Imran Khan to be shifted to hospital until the next hearing. When the courts play their role, Pakistan is always the winner. The entire nation is praying for their leader’s good health. Let’s hope there are no… https://t.co/3QzBlPp0nO
— Sayed Z Bukhari (@sayedzbukhari) August 18, 2026
Khan’s lawyers have previously claimed that his eyesight in the right eye had deteriorated significantly during his incarceration. His sons have also raised concerns about his health and called for him to receive appropriate medical treatment.
Khan has been in prison since August 2023 after his conviction in several cases. The former cricketer-turned-politician has denied wrongdoing and alleged that the cases against him are politically motivated following his removal as prime minister in 2022.
Khan was ousted through a no-confidence vote in April 2022. Since then, he has faced a series of legal cases, including those involving state gifts and his marriage. Some convictions have subsequently been suspended or overturned, while appeals in other cases remain pending.
Khan’s PTI won the 2018 general election and formed the government, with Khan serving as prime minister until his removal in 2022. The party continued to retain substantial support ahead of the 2024 general election, although its candidates were barred from contesting under the party’s election symbol and fought as independents.
The former prime minister’s prolonged imprisonment has remained a major political issue in Pakistan, with PTI supporters repeatedly demanding his release and improved treatment in custody.
The Supreme Court’s latest order allows Khan to receive hospital care outside prison for the specified period while his medical condition is assessed and treated.
With inputs from Reuters
