Islamabad, Aug 21: Former prime minister Imran Khan was shifted back to Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on Friday morning after undergoing a medical examination at the state-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), where doctors from Al-Shifa hospital were also present, the government said.
Earlier in the day, Khan’s international media spokesperson Zulfi Bukhari had said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder was shifted to privately-owned Shifa International Hospital following a Supreme Court order.
The Supreme Court on August 18 directed that Khan, 73, be taken to the hospital within two days following a medical report submitted before it which said he was suffering from “level three plus” anxiety.
Level three plus anxiety refers to high-level or severe anxiety where worry overwhelms daily tasks, triggers intense physical strain and disrupts clear thinking.
Information minister Attaullah Tarar blamed PTI workers for the failure to take Khan to the Shifa hospital.
In a social media post, the minister said that “in view of the security situation created by PTI workers on the way to and outside Al-Shifa hospital”, Khan was taken to PIMS and according to the medical examination, he was found to be “healthy”.
“The medical examination was conducted at PIMS Hospital, where doctors from Al-Shifa Hospital were also present,” he said.
Tarar said the government will continue to provide medical assistance to Khan. Khan has been provided with medical facilities before as well, and even now, it will be provided whenever he needs them, the minister said.
In an earlier post, Tarar had said, “In the light of the Supreme Court’s order, the prisoner was taken to the hospital under appropriate security arrangements during the night between August 20 and 21.”
He, however, did not name Khan nor Shifa International Hospital in the post.
“A team of qualified doctors, including an ophthalmologist, a cardiologist, and a physician, conducted a detailed examination of him and declared him medically fit. His sister, Uzma Khan, remained present during all stages of the medical examination/treatment,” Tarar had said.
After the completion of the entire medical process, he was shifted back to Adiala jail “at approximately 5 am”, the minister had said, without naming the deposed prime minister.
In Tuesday’s ruling, the Supreme Court had said that Khan should remain in Shifa hospital until the next hearing of his case on September 16.
It also ordered the constitution of a medical board to assess the health of the former cricketer-turned-politician and treat him.
The Supreme Court also granted Khan one weekly meeting with his family during his stay at the hospital.
The government on Wednesday filed a petition in the court, seeking a review and recall of its order. However, the court’s registrar’s office on Thursday returned the petition, citing incomplete paper books as the reason.
Khan’s party had threatened to file a contempt of court petition against the government on Friday if he was not admitted to hospital by Thursday 11:59 pm.
Rana Sanaullah, the Advisor to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs, on Thursday claimed that there was no deadline for transferring Khan to the hospital.
Khan was arrested on August 5, 2023, in a corruption case and has remained in custody since then. He has been lodged in Adiala Jail, a detention facility on the outskirts of Rawalpindi.
The PTI founder’s relatives and supporters have repeatedly alleged human rights violations, and accused the authorities of restricting his access to adequate medical care, family visits and legal counsel.
One of the main concerns in Khan’s case was an eye condition.
The former cricketer-turned-politician was taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad for eye treatment multiple times over the last few months after his ailment — right central retinal vein occlusion — came to light in late January.
Demands to move him to a private hospital intensified since then.
Earlier this month, Amnesty International also accused Pakistani authorities of systematically denying him a fair trial and subjecting him to prolonged unlawful solitary confinement. (PTI)
