Imran Khan's Party Demands Cardiac Care Amid Hospital Transfer Dispute

Health10 sourcesAug 24, 2026

8 placedFactual rigor 56/100

The Story

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan on Monday dismissed speculation of a deal with the government, stating party founder Imran Khan would not have spent three years in jail if he sought one.

Gohar and PTI leader Sardar Latif Khosa met the Supreme Court registrar to request a case number and early hearing for PTI's contempt petition. The petition alleges the government violated an August 18 Supreme Court order to transfer Khan from Adiala jail to the privately run Shifa International Hospital. Instead, Khan was taken to the state-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) on Friday for examinations.

Doctors at PIMS reportedly recommended a CT Coronary Angiography (CTA) of the heart, but hospital officials stated the facility was unavailable, and Khan was returned to jail without the procedure. PTI Central Secretary Information Sheikh Waqas Akram condemned this continued failure and demanded the CTA be conducted at Shifa International Hospital, where specialist facilities are available.

Twenty-one former cricket captains, including Sunil Gavaskar and Greg Chappell, sent a letter dated August 23 to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, urging humane treatment and proper medical care for Khan. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formed an inquiry committee on Saturday, headed by the establishment division secretary, to investigate the PIMS incident and assign responsibility.

What they agree on

Pakistan's Supreme Court ordered the transfer of Imran Khan to Shifa International Hospital for medical examination and treatment.
Imran Khan was instead taken to the state-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) on Friday.
Khan's party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), filed a contempt petition against the government for not following the Supreme Court's order.
Doctors at PIMS recommended a CT Coronary Angiography (CTA) for Khan, but the procedure was not performed due to stated unavailability of facilities.
A group of former international cricket captains appealed to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for Khan to receive proper medical care.

Where they split

Al Jazeera (article 2) and BBC News (article 6) highlight the appeal from former cricket captains, detailing their specific demands for an independent health assessment and family visits, while Dawn (article 1) focuses on PTI's legal actions and Gohar Ali Khan's statements.
Dawn (article 10) provides technical details about the availability of a 128-slice CT scanner at PIMS capable of performing CTA, contradicting hospital officials' claims of unavailability, a detail not widely reported by other outlets.
LiveMint (article 3) specifies that 22 former international cricket captains signed the letter, including India's Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev, and Australia's Greg Chappell and Ian Chappell, while Al Jazeera (article 2) and BBC News (article 6) state 21 former captains.
The Media Line (article 11) mentions Imran Khan's fear of suffering the same fate as "Morsi," a detail about his personal concerns not present in other articles.