Pakistan orders Imran Khan to be transferred from prison to hospital

Pakistan's Supreme Court on August 18 ordered the transfer of former Prime Minister Imran Khan from prison to a hospital. The decision granted a long-standing request from his party and family due to Khan's deteriorating health. Reuters reported.

Imran Khan, 73, a cricketer who later entered politics, has been held in a prison in the city of Rawalpindi since August 2023. He has been convicted of a number of criminal cases. Khan himself believes the charges were politically motivated after he was ousted from power in 2022.

In 2025, his sons repeatedly expressed concern about their father's deteriorating health. His lawyers say Khan has lost significant vision in his right eye while in prison.

"We are issuing this order to ensure the health and safety of the prisoner, taking into account the fundamental rights of the individual," said Justice Shahid Wahid, the head of the three-judge bench that heard the petition.

The court ordered that Imran Khan be shifted to Shifa International Hospital in the capital Islamabad within 48 hours and remain there until September 16, Khan's spokesman Naeem Haider Panjutha confirmed the information to X.

The court also ordered the formation of a medical committee for his treatment. The committee will include a cardiologist, a general practitioner, an ophthalmologist and Imran Khan's personal doctor.

Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party welcomed the court's decision. The party said that the decision should be implemented immediately, fully and without delay.

"If only this decision had been taken earlier, then his eyesight and general health would not have deteriorated so much," said PTI spokesman Zulfiqar Bukhari.

The party also urged its members and Imran Khan's supporters not to gather around the hospital in line with the court order.

The government has not responded to the court's order. The information and interior ministries did not respond to requests for comment from Reuters. Khan has faced a raft of charges since he was ousted in a no-confidence vote, including charges of bribery and illegal marriage. Some of his sentences have been overturned or suspended, while appeals are pending. He denies any wrongdoing.

Khan's arrest in May 2023 sparked widespread protests, with hundreds of people attacking government buildings and destroying military installations. His supporters have since taken to the streets several times to demand his release.

Cricketing legends from around the world, including athletes from neighboring and rival India, also called for better treatment for Khan in February. They expressed deep concern about Khan's prison conditions. The government denies allegations of ill-treatment.

The PTI came to power in 2018 and enjoys strong support in key provinces. However, the party was stripped of its electoral symbol ahead of the 2024 elections.