CJP Afridi tells PTI lawyer that no order was issued for medical treatment, government had only given an assurance
ISLAMABAD:
The Supreme Court on Friday returned a petition seeking the transfer of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former prime minister Imran Khan to a hospital after raising objections to it.
The counsel for PTI founder Sardar Latif Khosa and Naeem Panjutha appeared before the court of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi and requested that their petition be fixed for hearing.
“Please address our petition for a hearing,” Khosa said, adding that a request for an urgent hearing had been filed the previous day. However, CJP Afridi told the lawyer that the petition had already been returned with objections. “Your petitions will remain pending till further orders. You have no such petition on which to proceed,” he said.
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Khosa claimed that the court had earlier ordered medical treatment for the PTI founder, but Afridi backtracked, saying “the court did not issue an order, rather the government had given an assurance.” The chief justice added that the health issue was no longer before the court and that counsel should reread the decision.
Khosa said the request for transfer to a hospital was not for political or legal reasons, but for humanitarian reasons, to which the CJP noted that the medical check-up had been done for humanitarian reasons.
Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan, addressing Khosa directly, said “I have known you since 1992. I understand what you are saying and through which channel you are saying it.” However, CJP Afridi reminded Khosa about the legal procedure. “Khosa Sahibyou are a senior lawyer; you must be aware of the Supreme Court’s procedure,” he said and asked him to meet the Registrar to get a copy of the objections. “If he does not provide a copy, you can approach the court,” he added.
Before leaving, Khosa questioned why he had not been informed of the previous day’s order. “If an order was passed yesterday, why haven’t we been informed yet?” he said.
Senior PTI members approached the Supreme Court on Wednesday seeking Imran’s transfer to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad for medical treatment. The petition was filed by Khosa in the Toshakhana criminal case under Rule 35(6) of the Supreme Court Rules, 2025, following a health assessment report prepared by advocate Salman Safdar on the direction of the court.
It requested that Imran be immediately shifted to Shifa International Hospital for specialized treatment of his eye disease by a retina specialist. It also sought access to his personal physicians, Drs. Faisal Sultan and Dr. Asim Yousaf, and requested that his family remain present during medical examinations and treatment.
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The filing also requested that Imran’s family members be informed and given access during his medical treatment and that his legal counsel be provided with certified copies of all medical reports and examinations. It further sought regular access to his lawyer to ensure effective legal representation.
The former prime minister has been in custody since August 2023 and is serving a sentence in Adiala prison in a £190m corruption case. He also faces pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act in connection with the May 9, 2023 protests. His party has intensified calls for his release after a medical report submitted to the court said the vision in his right eye had dropped to 15%. But government officials say he is receiving appropriate medical care.
