The government approached the Supreme Court to stop the transfer of Imran Khan to Shifa Hospital
A new twist has emerged in the ongoing legal battle over Imran Khan’s health and treatment. Days after the Supreme Court ordered the transfer to Shifa International Hospital, the federal government returned to court, challenging the interim order and arguing that prison rules and medical procedures should be followed before any such move.
The federal government has launched a fresh legal challenge over the proposed transfer of PTI founder Imran Khan to Shifa International Hospital, asking the Supreme Court to review its August 18 interim order.
A review petition filed by Chief Commissioner Islamabad through Advocate General Islamabad argued that the Supreme Court’s interim direction was beyond its statutory jurisdiction and should therefore be reviewed. The latest move adds another dramatic twist to an already closely watched legal battle over Khan’s health, imprisonment and access to medical treatment.
The Additional Sessions Judge sentenced Imran Khan to three years imprisonment on August 5, 2023. His appeal against the sentence is pending in the Islamabad High Court. During these proceedings, Khan requested to be transferred to Shifa International Hospital on medical grounds under Section 561-A of the Code of Criminal Procedure. On March 12, 2026, the Islamabad High Court filed an appeal in the Supreme Court and rejected the petition.
The federal government has now challenged the Supreme Court’s August 18 interim order, placing prison rules and medical evaluation procedures at the heart of the dispute.
The petition argued that Rule 197 of the Pakistan Prison Rules, 1978 already establishes a formal procedure for transferring prisoners from prisons to hospitals outside prisons. According to the Government, such transfers may require Government approval and action through the Inspector General of Prisons depending on the circumstances.
The petition also emphasized that a prisoner would be transferred to an outside hospital and subject to security arrangements and police surveillance.
The government invoked Article 10-A of the Constitution to say that all parties are entitled to a fair trial and due process of law. Another objection raised in the revision petition relates to the procedure when the matter first came up before the Supreme Court.
The government says notices were not formally issued to relevant parties when the case was initially set for hearing, raising questions about whether the matter was properly heard with all necessary parties before the court.
The government challenged the basis of the order to transfer Khan to an outside hospital, saying that his medical condition should first be finally assessed by qualified medical experts. According to the petition, Khan is already undergoing regular medical examinations, while the government medical board has examined and treated him on several occasions.
The government contends that the court should have obtained a definitive opinion from medical experts before determining whether Khan’s health had deteriorated to such a serious extent as to justify his transfer to a hospital outside the prison.
The controversy now puts Khan’s medical treatment, prison regulations and the scope of judicial intervention at the center of the latest clash between the federal government and the Supreme Court.
On the order of the Supreme Court, Imran Khan will undergo a complete medical check-up at Shifa International.
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