Pakistan top court orders ex-PM Imran Khan be moved to hospital from jail

Pakistan's Supreme Court has directed that former Prime Minister Imran Khan be transferred from jail to a hospital for medical evaluation. A three‑judge bench instructed that Khan be taken to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad within the next 48 hours so that physicians can examine him. The same order permits him to meet with family members and speak by telephone with his sons. Khan has been detained since August 2023 on corruption charges that he maintains are politically motivated. The Pakistani government has not issued any public comment on the court’s ruling. In the Tuesday order the bench wrote: “We are mindful of the law and ineligible obligation... to safeguard the life, health, dignity and information of the prisoner.” Lawyers for the 73‑year‑old former premier say he suffers from several health problems, including poor eyesight, and has been unable to obtain specialist medical care. In February his lawyer stated that his lawsuit had 15% imaginativeness near successful his close eye after authorities failed to act, a claim the government disputed. Reacting to the decision, Zulfikar Bukhari, an adviser to Khan, told AFP: “We privation it had happened sooner truthful his oculus and wide wellness would not person deteriorated this much”. The court also specified that an eye specialist would participate in Khan’s hospital treatment. Judges and members of Khan’s party, Tehreek‑e‑Insaf, warned supporters not to assemble outside the hospital when he is moved, noting that such a gathering would violate the order. Khan, who once captained Pakistan’s national cricket team, served as prime minister from 2018 to 2022. Since his imprisonment he has faced charges in excess of 100 cases, ranging from leaking state secrets to selling state gifts, all of which he describes as politically motivated. He and his wife, Bushra Bibi, each received a 17‑year sentence last year. His incarceration sparked large‑scale protests by supporters, which were met with a government crackdown. Despite being behind bars, Khan remains a prominent figure in Pakistani politics with a substantial base of support.