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Imran Khan medical checkup at a government hospital concluded early Friday, with Information Minister Attaullah Tarar saying a team of specialist doctors found the former prime minister medically fit before he was returned to Adiala Jail.
According to Tarar, Imran Khan was taken from prison during the night of August 20 and 21 under heightened security arrangements following the Supreme Court’s directive concerning his medical examination and treatment. He was brought back to Adiala Jail at around 5am on Friday.
Imran Khan Medical Checkup Completed by Specialist Team
Tarar said the examination was conducted at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), with doctors from Shifa International Hospital also participating in the process.
The medical team included an ophthalmologist, cardiologist and physician. The government said the doctors carried out a detailed assessment and subsequently declared Imran Khan “medically fit.”
His sister, Dr Uzma Khan, remained present during the examination and treatment process, according to the information minister.
The government has maintained that Imran Khan has previously received medical care while in custody and that appropriate healthcare facilities will continue to be provided whenever required.
Security Concerns Alter Hospital Arrangements
The medical visit became a matter of controversy after authorities did not conduct the examination at the private Shifa International Hospital as originally directed by the Supreme Court.
Tarar said the decision to use PIMS was taken because of security concerns surrounding Shifa Hospital, including the presence and movement of PTI supporters outside the facility.
Government officials have described the decision as a security measure rather than a political decision. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry also defended the move, saying authorities had to consider the security situation before determining the appropriate medical facility.
Supreme Court Order Triggered Medical Transfer
The development followed an August 18 Supreme Court order directing authorities to transfer Imran Khan from Adiala Jail to Shifa International Hospital for medical assessment and treatment.
The court had directed that a multidisciplinary medical board examine him and had also allowed his personal physician and sister to remain involved in his medical care.
The federal government subsequently challenged the order through a review petition. However, the Supreme Court Registrar’s Office returned the petition on Thursday, citing objections including incomplete paper books.
The government has argued that medical treatment for prisoners must be administered according to prison rules and applicable legal procedures.
PTI Questions Government’s Decision
While the government says the medical assessment fulfilled the immediate requirement, PTI has criticised the decision to take Imran Khan to PIMS instead of Shifa International Hospital.
The party has questioned whether the government fully complied with the Supreme Court’s directions and has raised concerns about the circumstances surrounding the brief hospital visit.
Reuters reported that PTI was considering legal action over what it described as a breach of the Supreme Court’s instructions, while government officials maintained that the medical assessment found no urgent health issue requiring continued hospitalisation.
The episode is likely to remain politically sensitive as the government and PTI continue to disagree over Khan’s medical treatment, prison conditions and the scope of the Supreme Court’s directions.
For now, the government’s official position is that the former prime minister has been medically assessed, found fit by the examining doctors and returned to Adiala Jail.See More on Pulse Pakistan
