PTI Files Contempt Petition Over Imran Khan Hospital Transfer Order
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN — WEB DESK: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has filed a contempt-of-court petition in the Supreme Court over what it alleges was a violation of the court’s August 18 order directing authorities to transfer jailed former prime minister Imran Khan to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad.
The petition asks the Supreme Court to initiate contempt proceedings over the alleged failure to implement its directions concerning Khan’s hospital transfer and medical examination.
According to the filing, PTI has requested that show-cause notices be issued to the respondents and that those accused of violating the court order be directed to appear personally before the Supreme Court.
The petition further asks the court to find the respondents guilty of contempt if the allegations are established and impose punishment in accordance with the law.
PTI has also sought an order for Khan’s immediate transfer to Shifa International Hospital, where it wants the former prime minister to undergo a medical examination in line with the Supreme Court’s earlier directions.
In another request, the petition asks the Supreme Court to appoint a judicial officer or local commission to oversee implementation of its hospital-transfer order.
The contempt petition was filed by lawyers Uzair Bhandari and Salman Akram Raja, according to Express Urdu. The underlying case concerning Khan’s medical treatment has already been adjourned until September 16.
What Did the Supreme Court Order?
On August 18, a three-member Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Shahid Waheed ordered the government to shift Khan to Shifa International Hospital within two days.
The court also directed authorities to facilitate weekly meetings between Khan and his family and allow him to speak with his sons twice a week. It ordered that his personal physician, Dr Faisal Sultan, be given access and included in a medical board alongside specialist doctors.
The government subsequently challenged the direction requiring Khan’s transfer to a private hospital. Its review petition argued that the order overlooked procedures under the Pakistan Prison Rules and could create unequal treatment for prisoners.
The Supreme Court Registrar’s Office returned that review petition after raising procedural objections, including incomplete paper books. Reports said the government could resubmit the application after addressing the deficiencies.
PIMS Examination Sparks Dispute
The controversy intensified after Khan was examined at the state-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) instead of receiving the treatment at Shifa International Hospital envisaged by the August 18 order.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said security concerns led authorities to use PIMS, where doctors from Shifa were also involved in Khan’s examination. The government said specialists examined the former prime minister and found him medically fit.
PTI disputed that this amounted to compliance with the Supreme Court’s directions.
Reuters reported that Khan was briefly taken for medical assessment before being returned to Adiala Jail early Friday, triggering accusations from PTI that authorities had breached the court’s order.
The government has rejected allegations that Khan is being denied adequate medical treatment. Pakistan’s Information Ministry said on Friday that prison and medical records did not support claims of medical neglect or mistreatment and maintained that Khan has been provided regular medical examinations and other facilities.
Legal Battle Moves Back to Supreme Court
Khan’s lawyer Khalid Yousaf Chaudhry had earlier announced plans to pursue contempt proceedings, saying he had visited Adiala Jail to obtain Khan’s signatures on the relevant petition and power-of-attorney documents.
With the petition now filed, the dispute has moved from arguments over how the August 18 order should be interpreted to a formal request for the Supreme Court to determine whether its directions were violated.
Filing a contempt petition does not itself establish contempt of court. The Supreme Court will determine whether to entertain the application, seek responses from the parties and initiate proceedings.
The dispute over Khan’s medical treatment has become another politically sensitive legal confrontation involving the former prime minister, who has been imprisoned since 2023 and continues to face multiple legal cases.
Khan and PTI maintain that the cases and restrictions against him are politically motivated. The government rejects allegations of political persecution and says Khan is being treated according to applicable laws and prison regulations.
