Agencies | Islamabad:
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the party of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, has filed a contempt petition against the government, alleging that authorities violated a Supreme Court directive by taking him to a state-run hospital instead of the private facility named in the order.
Naeem Panjutha, a legal adviser to PTI, said the petition seeks contempt proceedings against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and other officials.
The move follows a three-judge Supreme Court bench’s order directing the government to transfer Khan from Adiala Jail to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad within two days for a medical examination. The directive came amid repeated concerns raised by his family and party over his health.
Despite the court order, authorities took Khan to the state-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) on Friday for a brief medical examination before returning him to jail.
PTI has also alleged that Khan was not allowed to consult his personal physician during the examination, which the party says amounted to another violation of the court’s directions.
The government, however, has maintained that Khan was taken to PIMS because of security concerns surrounding Shifa International Hospital. Officials said the medical examination did not identify any condition requiring immediate hospitalisation or further emergency treatment.
The dispute has now turned into a fresh legal confrontation between Khan’s party and the government.
PTI has interpreted the Supreme Court’s directions as requiring Khan to remain under medical supervision until at least mid-September. The party has accused the authorities of deliberately avoiding compliance with the court’s order.
Khan’s supporters had gathered in Islamabad and staged demonstrations outside the hospital amid heightened concern over his health and treatment in custody.
His personal physician, Faisal Sultan, and members of his family have also publicly raised concerns about his medical condition and access to independent medical care.
Khan’s sister, Uzma Khan, who was present during his examination at PIMS, told reporters that the former prime minister was physically stable but alleged that he had been repeatedly subjected to mistreatment in prison.
The allegations have been rejected by the government, which has maintained that Khan is receiving appropriate medical attention and that security considerations influenced the decision to take him to PIMS.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Friday that security risks associated with Shifa International Hospital were the reason for choosing PIMS for the examination.
The controversy is likely to further intensify the already strained relationship between PTI and the government.
Khan has remained in prison since August 2023 following a series of legal cases that he and his supporters describe as politically motivated. His removal from office and subsequent arrest triggered widespread protests across Pakistan, some of which targeted military installations.
The latest dispute over his medical treatment comes as PTI prepares for a planned protest on September 27. Party leaders have indicated that the hospital controversy could further strengthen mobilisation among Khan’s supporters.
With the contempt petition now before the court, the issue is expected to become another major legal and political flashpoint between Imran Khan’s party and the government.
