Court to resume proceedings on March 12 as government opposes move to Shifa Hospital, cites medical board overseeing treatment
Imran Khan, founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. Photo: File
ISLAMABAD:
The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday adjourned hearing on a miscellaneous application seeking 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 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 prison superintendent had been received. The court noted, however, that the report should have been shared with opposing counsel earlier.
Khosa then read out the report of the superintendent of Adiala Prison in the court, which attached a press release from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS). According to the report, Khosa said, Imran’s first medical examination took place at the prison hospital. He was then brought to PIMS twice, according to the attorney general, the second visit being 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 administered at the hospital.
Khosa informed the court that he had attached a report submitted by friend-of-the-court lawyer Salman Safdar – originally submitted before the Supreme Court – along with the various petitions. The bench asked whether it should first hear the main appeal or the application on medical grounds.
Khosa, addressing the court, recalled that Imran had previously been detained in Attock prison after his conviction in the Toshakhana criminal case, where he was detained in what Khosa described as a “strange situation”. A petition regarding its condition was filed with the Supreme Court in 2023, which subsequently sought a report on the matter, Khosa said.
The lawyer further said that the case was taken up in 2026 when he informed the Supreme Court that the founder was suffering from an eye disease. He said the government denied the issue for five days before issuing a press release. Safdar had recommended treatment for the eye disease and warned that further delay could lead to serious consequences, Khosa said.
Asked by Justice Tahir about the specific relief sought in the application, Khosa said he had requested that Imran be transferred to Shifa International Hospital and access be given to his personal doctor and family members.
The federation opposed maintaining the application for transfer to Shifa Hospital, with the advocate general informing the court that in light of the Supreme Court’s directions, a medical board comprising PIMS doctors Dr Arif and Dr Nadeem Qureshi had already been constituted to supervise the treatment of Imran’s eye condition.
The Advocate General further contended that the Supreme Court had not issued any directions on Safdar’s suggestions and objected that the court could not issue directions in this petition. He cited a Supreme Court decision in support of this position and read out the relevant order in court, noting that in this case, Imran’s sentence was suspended and bail was granted.
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Justice Soomro, however, pointed out that the decision referred to by the Advocate General was also followed by a subsequent order. Justice Tahir acknowledged that the matter was now before the court and he would consider it, before turning to Khosa and asking him to suggest what course of action the court might take.
The hearing was then adjourned until March 12, and further proceedings in the case were also adjourned until the day after tomorrow as Khosa was unprepared on the issue of prison rules.
