Pakistan refiles plea against SC order to move Imran Khan to private hospital

Islamabad/lahore,UPDATED: Aug 20, 2026 20:36 IST

The Pakistan government on Thursday refiled a review petition in the Supreme Court, asking it to change its order directing that jailed former prime minister Imran Khan be shifted to a private hospital for treatment. The move came as the court-set deadline to transfer the 73-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder to Shifa Hospital in Islamabad was due to expire at midnight.

The Supreme Court had on Tuesday ordered that Khan be taken to the hospital within two days and remain there until the next hearing on September 16. The government had initially said it would implement the order, but later moved the apex court to seek a review and recall of the direction.

According to reports, the court registrar's office returned the first petition because the paper books were incomplete. "The government has again filed a review petition," Rana Sanaullah, the Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs, told reporters outside Parliament. He said the relief given to Khan was not in accordance with the law. Sanaullah also said there was no deadline for transferring Khan to the hospital, even as the court's deadline was due to end at 12 tonight. He added that the government expected a decision on the review plea "today or tomorrow", after which the situation would become clearer.

Sanaullah said the government was bound by the Constitution, the law and Supreme Court decisions, but argued that the order could have wide-ranging implications for the criminal justice system. He asked, "Will every prisoner then be shifted to a private hospital?" and said it could open the way for "1,000 applications" seeking transfer to private hospitals. Meanwhile, private media reported that the government might move Khan before the deadline to avoid confrontation, with sources saying he could first be taken to a government hospital and then to a private hospital on doctors' advice.

Earlier, PTI Secretary-General Salman Akram Raja said the state had withdrawn the review petition after objections were raised. "There is no excuse whatsoever for not complying with the SC order of Aug 18. Imran Khan sahib must be transferred to Shifa Hospital forthwith. Today is the day," he said. Khan's party has said it will file a contempt of court petition against the government on Friday if he is not admitted to hospital by 11.59 pm on Thursday. In a statement, the party said, "The Supreme Court had ordered that Imran Khan must be shifted to Shifa Hospital, Islamabad, within two days (by Thursday midnight). However, the order has yet to be implemented. If he is not shifted by 11.59 pm tonight, the court itself can initiate contempt of court proceedings and rightly so." It added, "If the Supreme Court does not, PTI's legal team has prepared a petition that will be filed tomorrow morning," and said the top court's order was mandatory.

The court order came after months of concern from Khan's family and supporters over his health and repeated allegations that he was being denied adequate medical care. One of the main concerns has been an eye condition. The former cricketer-turned-politician has been taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad several times in recent months for treatment after his ailment, right central retinal vein occlusion, came to light in late January. Since then, demands to move him to a private hospital have grown, with his relatives and party colleagues also alleging restrictions on medical care, family visits and access to legal counsel.

In sum, the government has again approached the Supreme Court to review its order on Khan's transfer to a private hospital, while his party has insisted that the direction must be carried out by the midnight deadline and warned of contempt proceedings if it is not.

With PTI Inputs

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