The court will resume the case on March 12 as the government opposes the move to Shifa Hospital, citing the medical board overseeing the treatment
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan. Photo: File
ISLAMABAD:
The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of a miscellaneous application seeking the transfer of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former prime minister Imran Khan to Shifa International Hospital till March 12 after lawyer Sardar Latif Khosa was found unprepared for the relevant jail rules.
A two-member bench comprising Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir and Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro heard the case. At the outset, Advocate General Islamabad informed the court that the report of the Inspector General of Jails had been received. However, the court noted that the report should have been shared with opposing counsel earlier.
Khosa went on to read out the Adiala Jail Superintendent’s report in court, which had a press release from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) attached to it. According to the report, Khosa said, Imran’s first medical examination was conducted at the prison hospital. After this, he was taken to PIMS on two occasions, according to the attorney general, with the second visit necessitated by the need to administer an injection.
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A PIMS doctor had also conducted a medical examination inside the prison hospital and suggested that the injection be given at the hospital.
Khosa informed the court that he had attached a report submitted by Friend of Court Barrister Salman Safdar – initially filed before the Supreme Court – along with the miscellaneous application. The bench asked whether it should hear the main appeal or the application on medical grounds first.
Khosa, addressing the court, recalled that Imran had earlier been in Attock jail after his conviction in the Toshakhana criminal case, where he was kept in what Khosa described as a “strange situation.” A petition regarding his condition had been filed in the Supreme Court in 2023, which had subsequently sought a report on the matter, Khosa said.
The lawyer also stated that the case was taken up again in 2026, after which he informed the Supreme Court that the founder suffered from an eye disorder. He said the government dismissed the issue for five days before issuing a press release. Safdar had recommended treatment for the eye condition and warned that further delay could lead to dire consequences, Khosa said.
When Justice Tahir was asked about the specific relief sought in the application, Khosa said he had requested that Imran be transferred to Shifa International Hospital and that his personal doctor and family members be allowed access.
The union objected to the maintainability of the request for transfer to Shifa Hospital and the Advocate General informed the court that in view of the directions of the Supreme Court, a medical board consisting of PIMS doctors Dr. Arif and Dr. Nadeem Qureshi has already been appointed to oversee the treatment of Imran’s eye disease.
The Advocate General further argued that the Supreme Court had not issued any directions on Safdar’s motion and objected that the court could not issue directions through this application. Citing a Supreme Court decision in support of this position, he read the relevant order before the court, noting that in this case Imran’s sentence had been suspended and bail had been granted.
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However, Justice Soomro pointed out that the decision referred to by the Advocate General had also been followed by a subsequent order. Justice Tahir acknowledged that the case was now before the court and that it would look into it before turning to Khosa and asking him to suggest what course of action the court could take.
The court hearing was subsequently adjourned until March 12, and further proceedings in the case were also postponed until the day after tomorrow, as Khosa was not prepared for the issue of prison rules.
