PTI Accuses Government of Violating Supreme Court Order Over Imran Khan Hospital Shift

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has accused the federal government of violating a Supreme Court order after former prime minister Imran Khan was examined at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences instead of Shifa International Hospital. The party says the hospital change turned a medical examination into a wider legal dispute over compliance with the court's directions.

The Supreme Court had ordered authorities to shift Khan from Adiala Jail to Shifa International Hospital for a detailed medical check-up. The order was linked to petitions seeking his hospitalisation, access to medical specialists, family meetings and disclosure of medical records. PTI argues that moving him to PIMS did not satisfy the court's direction because Shifa was specifically named in the order.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar later said Khan was taken to PIMS and returned to Adiala Jail after doctors completed the examination. According to the government's position, security concerns around the route to Shifa International Hospital forced authorities to adjust the plan. Tarar also said specialists examined Khan and found him medically fit to return to prison.

Khan's sister, Dr Uzma Khan, was present during the late-night medical process. According to the draft account, she said she was called to Adiala Jail on Thursday night and then taken to PIMS, where she met her brother after a long gap. Her presence has become important because the family has repeatedly asked for independent medical access and has questioned official accounts of Khan's health.

Uzma Khan said doctors checked Khan's right eye and told the family that his eye condition had improved, although a small hemorrhage was still present. She also said his blood pressure was normal. At the same time, she claimed Khan raised concerns about his treatment in prison, including solitary confinement and lack of access to books, television and medical specialists.

PTI's central objection is not only about the result of the medical examination. The party says the process itself matters because the Supreme Court ordered an examination at Shifa International Hospital and allowed Khan's doctor to remain involved. According to the party, a PIMS examination cannot be treated as full compliance if the court had directed a different facility and process.

The issue has also drawn criticism from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, who described the matter as one connected to the authority of the Supreme Court. PTI says it plans to move the court again and may seek contempt proceedings against officials it believes were responsible for ignoring the order.

Dr Faisal Sultan, Khan's physician, was reportedly waiting at Shifa International Hospital for Khan's arrival. PTI says he later learned that Khan had been taken back to Adiala Jail after the PIMS examination. That detail has strengthened the party's argument that the court-approved medical process was bypassed.

The government rejects the idea that it ignored Khan's medical needs. Its position is that security conditions created by the planned movement to Shifa required a practical decision, and that qualified specialists at PIMS completed the required medical checks. Officials have also argued in court that prisoners are normally treated through public-sector medical facilities unless a private hospital is medically necessary.

The dispute now sits at the intersection of health, prison rules, security and judicial authority. If PTI files a contempt petition, the Supreme Court may have to decide whether the government substantially complied with the order or whether the change from Shifa to PIMS amounted to a violation. That decision could shape how future medical requests for high-profile prisoners are handled.

For Khan's supporters, the case reinforces concerns about transparency and access to independent doctors. For the government, the priority is to show that Khan was examined properly and that security concerns were real. The gap between those positions is why the hospital visit has remained a political flashpoint even after Khan was returned to Adiala Jail.

The main takeaway is that Imran Khan's medical check-up has not ended the controversy around his health or detention. PTI is treating the PIMS examination as a breach of the Supreme Court's Shifa order, while the government says the change was necessary and the examination was complete. The next stage is likely to unfold in court, where PTI is expected to press its claim that legal instructions were ignored.