CJP Afridi told PTI lawyer that no order was issued regarding medical treatment, government had only given assurance
ISLAMABAD:
The Supreme Court on Friday returned a petition seeking transfer of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan to a hospital after he raised objections over the same.
PTI founder’s lawyers 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 correct our hearing request,” Khosa said, adding that an urgent hearing request had been filed the day before. CJP Afridi, however, told counsel that the petition had already been returned with objections. “Your requests will remain pending until further notice. You do not have a request of this type while waiting to be able to conduct a procedure,” he said.
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Khosa argued that the court had already ordered medical treatment for the PTI founder, but Afridi retorted, saying “the court has not made an order, but rather the government has given an assurance.” The chief justice added that the health issue was no longer pending before the court and lawyers should reread the decision.
Khosa said the request for transfer to a hospital was not based on political or legal reasons but on humanitarian grounds, to which the CJP emphasized that the medical examination was carried out on humanitarian grounds.
Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan, speaking directly to Khosa, said: “I have known you since 1992. I understand what you are saying and through which channel you are saying it. CJP Afridi, however, reminded Khosa of the legal proceedings. “Khosa Sahibyou are a senior lawyer; you must be aware of the Supreme Court procedure,” he said, ordering her to meet the registrar to obtain a copy of the objections. “If he does not provide a copy, you can approach the court,” he added.
Khosa, before leaving, wondered why he had not been informed of the previous day’s order. “If an order was issued yesterday, why haven’t we been informed of it yet?” he said.
Senior PTI members approached the Supreme Court on Wednesday seeking Imran’s transfer to Islamabad’s Shifa International Hospital 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 under the direction of the court.
He demanded that Imran be immediately transferred to Shifa International Hospital for specialized treatment of his eye problem by a retina specialist. He also requested access to his personal doctors, Dr. Faisal Sultan and Dr. Asim Yousaf, and requested that his family be allowed to remain present during medical examinations and treatments.
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The filing also requested that Imran’s family members be informed and allowed access during his medical treatment, and that his legal advisor be provided with certified copies of all medical reports and examinations. She further requested her lawyer to visit her regularly 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 £190 million corruption case. He also faces ongoing trials under the anti-terrorism law in connection with the May 9, 2023 protests. His party stepped up calls for his release after a medical report submitted to the court indicated that the vision in his right eye had fallen to 15%. However, government officials say he is receiving adequate medical care.
