‘Move Imran Khan to hospital’: Pakistan Supreme Court directs government amid health concerns
Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the government to move imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan to a hospital, meeting a longstanding demand from his party and family amid growing concerns over his health.Khan, 73, has been in jail since August 2023 after being convicted in several cases that he and his supporters have described as politically motivated. His Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party welcomed the court order, saying it should have come earlier.“It’s a very welcome order and we wish it had happened sooner so his eye and general health would not have deteriorated this much,” PTI spokesperson Zulfikar Bukhari told Reuters.“He should remain in hospital until all doctors are satisfied,” Bukhari added.According to Khan’s spokesperson Naeem Haider Panjutha, the court directed that he be moved to Shifa International Hospital within 48 hours and remain there until September 16.The order came amid renewed concerns over Khan’s physical and mental health. His sons, Sulaiman Khan and Kasim Khan, have repeatedly raised concerns about his access to family, lawyers and doctors.“We have no updates because his family, doctors and lawyers haven’t been allowed to see him for seven months,” they told CNN earlier this month.The development came after Pakistan president Arif Alvi also said on Tuesday that Khan’s medical reports were “alarming”, citing concerns over anxiety, palpitations and high blood pressure.In a post on X, Alvi said, “Imran Khan’s medical reports are alarming. I have gone through them with several specialists, and I am writing this in plain language so every Pakistani can understand exactly what is happening.”Alvi said the issues that concerned him most were Khan’s “anxiety and stress levels”, “palpitations,” and “high blood pressure”.Alvi also raised concerns over Khan’s heart rate and called for further medical monitoring, including a 24-hour Holter monitor.“I am deeply worried. Isolation is taking a physical toll on his body. If this is not addressed immediately, the damage may become irreversible with more complications to follow,” Alvi said.Calling for Khan to be hospitalised, Alvi said: “@ImranKhanPTI definitely needs to be moved to a hospital environment now, under an independent panel of doctors.”Khan’s legal troubles intensified after his ouster as prime minister in a no-confidence vote in 2022. He has faced multiple cases, including those involving state gifts and an unlawful marriage, with some convictions suspended or overturned and appeals pending. He denies wrongdoing.The PTI, which came to power in 2018 and retains a significant support base, was stripped of its election symbol before the 2024 general election, forcing its candidates to contest as independents.
