Pakistan’s political crisis surrounding jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan has taken another dramatic turn after his party filed a contempt petition against the government, accusing authorities of failing to comply with a Supreme Court order concerning his medical treatment.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) filed the petition on Saturday, August 22, after Khan was taken to a government hospital for a brief medical examination and then returned to prison—rather than being transferred to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad, the private facility specifically named in the Supreme Court’s order.
The dispute has rapidly developed into a fresh confrontation between Khan’s political movement and the government, with the Supreme Court now potentially being asked to determine whether its earlier directive was disregarded.
What did the Supreme Court order?
On August 18, Pakistan’s Supreme Court directed authorities to move Khan from Adiala Jail to Shifa International Hospital for medical evaluation and treatment.
The court also ordered the formation of a medical board involving specialists and allowed Khan’s personal physician to participate in his care. The ruling further granted him weekly family visits and twice-weekly phone calls with his sons.
The order came amid continuing concerns from Khan’s family and supporters about his health, particularly an ongoing eye problem.
But the government challenged the hospital-transfer order, arguing that Khan could receive appropriate treatment at a public facility and raising concerns about the implications of moving a convicted prisoner to a private hospital.
The government’s challenge hits a setback
The legal dispute intensified when Pakistan’s Supreme Court returned the government’s review petition seeking changes to the hospital-transfer order.
PTI subsequently warned that it would pursue contempt proceedings if the authorities failed to comply with the Supreme Court directive.
The situation came to a head when Khan was eventually taken for medical examination—but to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), a government-run hospital, instead of Shifa International Hospital.
He was later declared medically fit and returned to Adiala Jail after only a short hospital visit. Reuters reported that the move was viewed by Khan’s party and supporters as inconsistent with the Supreme Court’s directive.
Why did authorities choose a government hospital?
The government has pointed to security concerns surrounding Khan’s transfer and treatment.
Pakistan’s Information Ministry has also rejected allegations from Khan’s family and party that he has been subjected to medical neglect, cruel treatment or prolonged solitary confinement.
According to the government, Khan has received repeated medical examinations and continues to have access to family members, lawyers and doctors. Authorities say claims of mistreatment are not supported by prison and medical records.
Khan’s family and PTI, however, maintain that his medical needs and rights have not been adequately addressed.
PTI now wants the Supreme Court to intervene
The contempt petition represents a significant escalation because PTI is no longer simply challenging the government’s handling of Khan’s medical care—it is alleging that authorities failed to follow a direct order from Pakistan’s highest court.
Khan’s sister, Uzma Khan, has also filed a separate contempt petition, naming senior government officials and seeking his immediate transfer to Shifa International Hospital.
The central question is now whether Pakistan’s Supreme Court will consider the government’s security justification sufficient—or whether officials could face consequences for allegedly failing to implement the court’s instructions.
Why this matters beyond Khan’s health
The controversy comes at a particularly sensitive moment in Pakistan’s politics.
Khan, a former international cricket star who served as prime minister from 2018 until his removal from office in 2022, has remained a powerful political figure despite being imprisoned since 2023.
His PTI continues to challenge the legal cases against him, which Khan and his supporters characterize as politically motivated. Authorities reject that characterization and maintain that his convictions are the result of legal proceedings.
The latest hospital dispute therefore extends beyond a medical issue. It has become another test of the relationship between Pakistan’s government, courts and Khan’s political movement.
With PTI now seeking contempt proceedings, the next Supreme Court response could determine whether the hospital controversy ends with Khan remaining in prison—or becomes another major flashpoint in Pakistan’s already deeply polarized political landscape.
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