Pakistan‘s former Prime Minister, Imran Khan, has been transferred from jail to a private hospital, Kahn’s party announced early on Friday, confiming local media reports.
“Former Prime Minister Imran Khan has been shifted from Adiala Jail to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad following Supreme Court order,” a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party (PTI) spokesperson said in a text message to journalists.
Dozens of Khan supporters gathered near the hospital, the French AFP news agency reported, while security was deployed in anticipation of the former prime minister’s arrival.
What else do we know about Khan’s hospital transfer?
The move comes after the Supreme Court this week ordered Khan’s transfer to the private hospital within 48 hours.
It is seen as a potential first step toward easing tensions between Khan’s party and Pakistan’s powerful military establishment, which have been at odds since his removal from office in 2022.
Khan’s transfer comes amid some government opposition to the Supreme Court order, including from Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar who had argued that a convicted prisoner must be treated inside the jail or at a public hospital according to law.
Tarar added that he was requesting Khan’s medical tests be carried out at a government hospital instead of a private facility.
But later, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said the government would fully comply with the Supreme Court’s ruling and that its request for clarification was not intended to defy or delay implementation of the decision.
Khan’s supporters say his health has deteriorated during more than three years in prison.
His lawyers said he has lost significant vision in his right eye, but the government had previously said medical reports disclosed no condition requiring immediate treatment.
Khan’s fall from prime minister to prisoner
Khan was Pakistan’s prime minister from 2018 to 2022. The cricketer-turned-politician has been in prison since 2023, following his ouster in a no-confidence vote.
He was convicted on a number of charges including allegations of an unlawful marriage and corruption. He was sentenced late last year, along with his wife, to 17 years in prison for graft.
Both deny wrongdoing.
PTI still enjoys significant support across key provinces in Pakistan, and Khan himself remains a popular figure. His arrest in early 2023 triggered nationwide protests that resulted in hundreds of people being arrested.
His PTI party told the Reuters news agency they were planning a nationwide march on September 27 to demand access to Khan, speedy hearings in his case and his release.
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Edited by: Rana Taha
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