Pakistan blames PTI after Imran Khan shifted to state hospital, not Shifa

Islamabad,UPDATED: Aug 22, 2026 20:44 IST

Pakistan's government on Saturday blamed jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's party for his transfer to a state-run hospital instead of a private facility for a medical check-up ordered by the Supreme Court. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the presence of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf workers outside Shifa Hospital forced authorities to take Khan to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences.

The development came after Khan's sister, Uzma Khan, moved the Supreme Court and accused the government and senior officials of violating its order. On August 18, the top court had directed the government to shift Khan from Adiala jail in Rawalpindi to the private hospital within two days and keep him there until the next hearing on September 16.

Instead, authorities took the 73-year-old former prime minister to PIMS and later shifted him back to jail, saying doctors had declared him fit. Speaking to the media, Tarar said Khan's party had violated the spirit of the court order by gathering workers on the route to Shifa Hospital, forcing the government to take him elsewhere.

"Contempt has definitely happened," Tarar said. He added that the court had said no political motives should be involved in the medical check-up, but claimed that people around Shifa Hospital made social media content and removed barriers. "Wasn't it PTI who did it? Didn't they violate the court order?" he asked. He also said, "If somebody is in contempt, it is Imran Khan's sister and his partyThe prisoner's family was in contempt. His party was in contempt by gathering people and creating issues for the authorities."

Tarar said the government had implemented the court order "in letter and spirit". "The next question is whether there was implementation of the order. The answer is yes. Was the checkup done? Yes. Was it done with transparency? Yes. Was his sister present there? Yes. Were doctors from Shifa [Hospital] present there? Yes. All the obligations were completed," he said. He added that he had shared details with the media promptly and also posted updates on social media after the check-up at PIMS.

The minister also said some lawyers had made statements against the government over Khan's health and accused them of trying to "pollute bar politics". He said his party would not politicise the health of any prisoner and added that Khan's treatment had never been stopped or paused and would continue as needed. He also appealed to PTI leaders and Khan's family not to bring politics into the legal and health matters, saying they had "been in contempt" by commenting on the issue.

The Supreme Court's order came after months of concern raised by Khan's family and supporters over his health, especially an eye condition diagnosed earlier this year. Khan was taken to PIMS several times after his right central retinal vein occlusion was detected in late January. A report submitted by jail authorities to the Supreme Court said his eye condition had improved significantly and his vision was "almost normal". Khan has been lodged in Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail since 2023 in connection with several cases.

In sum, the dispute centred on why Khan was taken to PIMS instead of Shifa Hospital despite a Supreme Court order, with the government blaming PTI and Khan's family while insisting that the medical examination was completed transparently and in compliance with the court's directions.

With PTI Inputs

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