Supreme Court mandates medical transfer and healthcare protocols for Imran Khan

The directive mandates that the transfer to the hospital must be completed within a two-day timeframe. To oversee his care, the court has ordered the formation of a specialized medical board in coordination with the hospital administration.

This board is required to include a physician, a general surgeon, an internal medicine specialist, an eye specialist, and a cardiologist. Furthermore, the court has granted permission for Imran Khan’s personal physician, Dr. Faisal Sultan, and his sister, Dr. Uzma Khan, to remain actively involved in his medical examinations and ongoing treatment plans.

The financial responsibility for the medical services and facilities provided at Shifa International Hospital will be borne by Imran Khan or his family members.

The court’s intervention follows a rejection of the government's previous claims that sufficient medical information had been provided, with the bench noting that the documents submitted by the state were merely a synopsis of ailments rather than a comprehensive medical record.

Consequently, the government has been ordered to submit a full, detailed medical history, including all test results, prescriptions, and treatment records administered since the time of his arrest.

In addition to medical oversight, the court has addressed the conditions of his detention by directing authorities to facilitate weekly in-person meetings with his family and permit him to speak with his sons via telephone twice a week.

The government is also required to provide a detailed account of all legal cases in which the PTI founder is currently accused, arrested, or facing trial, alongside a record of all meetings held with family and legal counsel over the past three months.

While granting these facilities, the Supreme Court has imposed strict conditions to prevent the politicization of the medical process. The order explicitly bars family members, political associates, and legal representatives from sharing health-related information or medical reports with the media or the general public.

Furthermore, the PTI and the family have been instructed to ensure that no public gatherings occur within the premises of Shifa International Hospital. The court has issued a stern warning that any attempt to utilize medical reports for political gain or any violation of the established protocols could result in the immediate withdrawal of the granted facilities.

To ensure safety, the government is tasked with maintaining robust security measures throughout the duration of his hospital stay. The court has kept the matter part-heard, with the next hearing scheduled for September 16, 2026, at which point the complete medical reports from the hospital stay must be submitted for judicial review.

This order represents a significant development in the ongoing legal and custodial proceedings involving the former prime minister, balancing the state's security requirements with the fundamental rights of the prisoner to access specialized healthcare in a controlled environment.

The Advocate General had previously conceded that there were no legal impediments to providing the family with full access to medical documentation, a position that the court has now formalized into a binding judicial directive that requires total transparency from the state regarding the prisoner's health status and the legal proceedings against him.