Islamabad, August 18, 2026
Imran Khan Hospital Transfer has been ordered by Pakistan’s Supreme Court after months of concerns from the former prime minister’s family and physicians over his health and access to independent medical care. The court on Tuesday directed authorities to move Khan from Adiala Jail to Islamabad’s Shifa International Hospital for a comprehensive medical examination.
The three-member bench, headed by Justice Shahid Waheed, said the order was being issued with Khan’s fundamental rights, health and safety in mind. The ruling represents a significant development in a prolonged legal battle over whether the jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder should be examined and treated outside the prison system.
According to details of the order, Khan is expected to be transferred to Shifa International Hospital within 48 hours and remain under hospital care until September 16, subject to the medical arrangements directed by the court.
Supreme Court Orders Medical Board for Imran Khan
The Supreme Court also directed authorities to establish a medical panel to examine and treat Khan.
The board is expected to include specialists in:
- Cardiology
- General medicine
- Ophthalmology
- Khan’s personal physician
The court’s decision responds to repeated demands from Khan’s lawyers and family that doctors chosen by him be allowed to participate in assessing his condition.
The hospital examination is expected to provide a more comprehensive assessment of his health than routine medical evaluations conducted inside prison.
Family Visits and Calls With Sons Also Allowed
The Supreme Court did not limit its order to medical treatment.
Prison authorities were also directed to allow Khan weekly meetings with family members and telephone contact with his sons, addressing another major complaint raised by his relatives and lawyers.
Khan’s family has repeatedly sought greater access to him during his imprisonment, arguing that restrictions on meetings have made it more difficult to independently assess both his physical and emotional condition.
Why Did Imran Khan Seek Transfer to Shifa International Hospital?
Khan had approached the Supreme Court seeking transfer to Shifa International Hospital, access to physicians of his choice and regular contact with his family and legal advisers.
The legal challenge followed earlier proceedings in which courts considered whether his medical needs could adequately be addressed through government-appointed medical boards or treatment available through prison authorities.
His lawyers maintained that specialist examination outside the prison was necessary, particularly amid concerns about his eyesight and other health issues.
The Supreme Court’s latest ruling effectively accepts the need for hospital-based examination while also establishing a structured medical panel.
Concerns Have Grown Over Imran Khan’s Eyesight
Health concerns surrounding the former prime minister have intensified in recent months.
His legal team has said Khan suffered significant deterioration in the vision of his right eye while in custody. The issue became a major part of the arguments seeking specialist medical treatment outside Adiala Jail.
The court-ordered medical board’s inclusion of an ophthalmologist is therefore particularly significant.
Doctors at Shifa International Hospital will now be able to conduct specialist evaluations and determine whether additional treatment or procedures are required.
Khan Has Been in Custody Since 2023
Imran Khan, a former international cricket star who served as Pakistan’s prime minister from 2018 until 2022, has been imprisoned since 2023 amid a series of criminal cases and convictions.
Some of those convictions have subsequently been suspended or overturned, while appeals and other legal proceedings remain pending.
Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party have maintained that the cases against him are politically motivated, an allegation rejected by Pakistani authorities.
His imprisonment has remained one of the central issues in Pakistan’s deeply polarized political landscape.
PTI Welcomes Supreme Court Decision
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf welcomed the Supreme Court’s intervention and called for the ruling to be implemented without delay.
Party officials have argued for months that Khan should be allowed independent specialist treatment.
PTI also urged supporters not to gather outside the hospital while Khan undergoes treatment, in line with security considerations surrounding the transfer.
UN Expert Had Raised Concerns Over Detention Conditions
International scrutiny of Khan’s treatment in custody has also increased.
Alice Jill Edwards, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, has previously raised concerns about detention conditions affecting Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi.
In an official December 2025 statement, Edwards said information presented to her raised concerns about prolonged isolation, inadequate detention conditions and possible shortcomings in access to medical treatment.
She called on Pakistani authorities to ensure that detention conditions were consistent with international standards and that appropriate health care was available.
Why Solitary Confinement Concerns Matter
The UN’s Nelson Mandela Rules provide internationally recognized minimum standards for the treatment of prisoners.
The rules emphasize respect for prisoners’ inherent dignity and restrict prolonged solitary confinement, while also laying out standards for access to health care and humane detention conditions.
The rules do not determine Khan’s legal status or the validity of criminal proceedings against him. However, they provide the international framework against which concerns about prison conditions and access to treatment are often assessed.
Court Order Focuses on Health, Not Khan’s Criminal Cases
Importantly, Tuesday’s Supreme Court ruling concerns Khan’s medical treatment and detention conditions, not whether his convictions should be overturned or whether he should be released from custody.
The order allows him to receive hospital-based medical examination while remaining a prisoner under the authority of the state.
His broader legal battles will continue separately.
That distinction is important because the ruling does not amount to bail, acquittal or release.
Why Shifa International Hospital Matters
Shifa International Hospital is a major private hospital in Islamabad and has been repeatedly identified by Khan’s family and legal team as their preferred institution for specialist treatment.
His petitions sought not only transfer there but access to trusted doctors who could independently evaluate his medical condition.
The Supreme Court’s decision to permit hospital-based examination therefore represents a significant concession to those demands.
What Happens Next?
The immediate next step is Khan’s transfer from Adiala Jail to Shifa International Hospital in accordance with the Supreme Court’s timeline.
A specialist medical board will then assess his health and determine what treatment is required.
Authorities will also need to implement the court’s directions concerning family visits and communication.
The medical findings could become important in future proceedings if doctors recommend prolonged treatment, additional procedures or continued monitoring outside the prison.
Imran Khan Remains a Major Political Force
Despite remaining behind bars, Khan continues to wield significant influence in Pakistani politics.
PTI-backed independent candidates won the largest number of seats in the 2024 general election but did not secure the majority required to form the federal government.
Khan’s continued imprisonment, court cases and health have since remained major sources of political tension.
Tuesday’s ruling is therefore likely to attract attention well beyond the immediate question of medical care.
Bottom Line
The Imran Khan Hospital Transfer ordered by Pakistan’s Supreme Court marks a significant development in the former prime minister’s long-running battle for independent medical treatment.
The court has directed authorities to move him from Adiala Jail to Shifa International Hospital, establish a specialist medical panel and provide regular access to family members.
The ruling does not free Khan or resolve his criminal cases, but it gives him access to hospital-based treatment after months of disputes over his health and prison conditions.
With his medical condition, political influence and legal battles all under intense scrutiny, the hospital transfer is likely to remain a major development in Pakistan’s political crisis.
