Pakistan's Imran Khan Returns to Jail After Disputed Hospital Visit

Former Prime Minister Imran Khan returned to Adiala Jail early Friday after a medical examination at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed Khan was declared medically fit by a team of qualified doctors, including an ophthalmologist, a cardiologist, and a physician. The Supreme Court had ordered on Tuesday that Khan be moved to Shifa International Hospital, a private facility, within 48 hours for examination. The PTI slammed the government for flouting this order, stating Khan was taken to PIMS instead.

Tarar attributed the change in hospital to a security situation created by PTI workers along the planned route to Shifa International Hospital. Khan's sister, Uzma Khan, was present during the examination. She stated police took her to PIMS despite the Supreme Court's instruction for Shifa International Hospital. Khan's personal physician, Dr. Faisal Sultan, waited at Shifa International Hospital until early Friday, later learning Khan had been returned to Adiala prison.

The Supreme Court order also specified Khan should be allowed to see his family; his sister Noreen Khan visited him in prison on Tuesday night. The PTI plans to file a contempt of court petition against the government. Khan has been imprisoned since 2023 on corruption charges, which he says are politically motivated. His lawyers previously raised concerns about his health, including vision loss in his right eye. He and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were sentenced to 17 years in prison late last year.