ISLAMABAD — Imran Khan was returned to Adiala prison early on Friday after a medical examination at a government facility in Islamabad. Doctors declared him medically fit following the examination, according to a statement from the Pakistan Ministry of Information.

The medical team that examined Khan included an ophthalmologist, a cardiologist, and a physician. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stated that Khan's sister was present throughout the medical examination. He said the change in hospital location was due to the security situation created by PTI workers.

The court ordered the formation of a medical board to oversee Khan's treatment. The medical board was to include Khan's sister Dr. Uzma Khan and his personal physician Dr. Faisal Sultan. The court ordered that he be allowed weekly meetings with family members. It also ordered that he be permitted to speak with his sons via telephone.

The court barred Khan's family, political party, and lawyers from discussing his health publicly until the next hearing. The next hearing in Khan's case is scheduled for September 16. The order stated that he should remain hospitalized until at least the next hearing.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry told the Senate that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had no authority to go against judicial decisions. Chaudhry said the government had approached the court to seek clarification on whether the medical relief granted to Khan applied only to him or could be extended to other prisoners. He wrote on X that the government would fully comply with the ruling.

The court declined to hear the government's application for review on technical grounds, asking authorities to complete the required paperwork. Tarar accused PTI of having politicised the health of political rivals in the past. He said history is witness that PTI people politicised the health of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s leadership.

He said his leadership never said a word about the founder’s health. He added that this is a legal matter and there should be no politics over it. PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram asked whether the court order was implemented in its true spirit or was merely a superficial exercise for propaganda. Akram said the contradiction in the government’s stand revealed its hypocrisy.

He said on one hand, the government says it will respect the court’s verdict, so why are they now objecting to it. He said a review petition does not suspend the court order. He said until the court explicitly stays its own decision, Imran Khan must be moved to the hospital as directed. Senior PTI leader Zulfi Bukhari said the government’s own ranks appeared divided over the order.

Zulfikar Bukhari called the ruling a new ray of hope in an interview. He said the party would proceed with a nationwide march on September 27 to demand access to Khan, speedy hearings, and his release. PTI announced a countrywide protest on September 27. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi announced a long march to Islamabad and demanded restoration of Khan’s access to family, lawyers, and doctors.

The court said his vital organs had started being affected. An official familiar with the situation said medical reports showed Khan’s unstable and poorly controlled blood pressure warranted serious attention. The official said the medical reports showed psychological stress and anxiety requiring medical intervention. The official said the government-provided medical record did not indicate an acute cardiac condition.

Justice Shahid Waheed expressed concern during the hearing that Khan’s medical reports could be used for political purposes. PTI Secretary-General Barrister Salman Akram Raja assured the court that the party would not use the reports for political purposes. Lawyer Uzair Bhandari told the court that Uzma Khan should be allowed access because she is a doctor. He said Khan had been kept in solitary confinement for a prolonged period.

He said Khan had not been allowed to meet his sisters. The court sought details of all cases registered against Khan. It ordered the Adiala Jail superintendent to appear at the next hearing.

The court stressed that Khan’s transfer should not be politicized. It directed PTI not to allow rallies, demonstrations, or protests outside the hospital.

A senior police official the security presence outside Shifa was a decoy. PTI activists gathered along the route and near the hospital despite warnings from the court and party leaders not to. The area around Shifa International Hospital was sealed off with barriers, with officers and police vans in place. Police cars and armoured vehicles patrolled outside Shifa International Hospital.

Khan's wife Bushra Bibi met him with their two children at Adiala jail after the court order. He has been imprisoned since August 2023. He served as Prime Minister of Pakistan from 2018 to 2022.

He was removed from office in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in April 2022. He is the founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.

The government disputed the allegation that he had only 15% vision left in his right eye. Authorities said he regained about 70% of the vision in his right eye. Authorities said his eye condition was improving.

His family said in late January that he had lost about 85% of the vision in his right eye. Dozens of journalists gathered outside Shifa International Hospital overnight.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi stated recently that the governance system has collapsed in Pakistan. He stated that deep reforms are needed to put things back on track. PML-N leaders Adviser to the Prime Minister Rana Sanaullah, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry met with opposition leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai recently.

A Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) delegation reached out to Mahmood Khan Achakzai. The government has stated that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s offer of talks with the PTI on broader political issues remains open.

Why It Matters

The divergence between the Supreme Court's directive and the government's execution involves judicial compliance and prisoner rights in high-profile political cases. The court explicitly mandated a specific private facility, Shifa International Hospital, citing constitutional obligations to safeguard the prisoner's health and dignity. By transferring Khan to a public hospital, the government invoked security concerns and legal parameters regarding prisoner facilities, creating a direct conflict with the judicial order.

This event occurs against a backdrop of intensifying health concerns for Khan, including disputed claims about his vision and heart condition. The Supreme Court noted that his vital organs had started being affected and his pulse was not normal. The government's decision to seek clarification on whether such medical relief applies to other prisoners suggests potential broader implications for the prison system. Meanwhile, PTI has announced a nationwide march for September 27, indicating that the dispute over Khan's treatment remains a central mobilizing issue for the opposition.

Timeline

On August 17, 2026, Rana Sanaullah told the Senate on Monday that Khan was receiving the best available medical treatment. He said Khan's condition did not support PTI’s concerns. On August 18, 2026, the Supreme Court order specified that Khan be taken to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad.

The Supreme Court wrote in its order: "We are mindful of the constitutional and legal obligation.. to safeguard the life, health, dignity and security of the prisoner." The Court said during the hearing that Khan’s "pulse and heart condition were not normal". The Court said Khan's vital organs had started being affected. Federal Law Minister Azam Tarar said in a video statement that the government wanted Khan examined at a public hospital. The Supreme Court ordered on Tuesday that Imran Khan be transferred to a hospital for medical examination within 48 hours.

What's New

Later reporting indicates that PTI leader Suhail Afridi accused the government of violating the Supreme Court order by taking Khan to a public hospital. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said the government had approached the Supreme Court to seek clarification on whether the medical relief granted to Khan applied only to him or could be extended to other prisoners. Chaudhry wrote on X that the government would fully comply with the Supreme Court's ruling. Sheikh Waqas Akram said until the court explicitly stays its own decision, Imran Khan must be moved to the hospital as directed. Senior PTI leader Zulfi Bukhari said the government’s own ranks appeared divided over the Supreme Court order. Additional details from the hearing reveal that the Supreme Court said during the hearing that Khan’s pulse and heart condition were not normal. The Supreme Court said Khan's vital organs had started being affected.

How Sources Differ

Regarding Khan's vision in his right eye, Khan's lawyer stated that Khan's lawyers said in February that he had 15% vision left in his right eye. In contrast, Khan's family said in late January that he had lost about 85% of the vision in his right eye. On the matter of the hospital transfer, Suhail Afridi asserted that PTI leader Suhail Afridi accused the government of violating the Supreme Court order by taking Khan to a public hospital, while the Supreme Court of Pakistan order stated that the Supreme Court ordered on Tuesday that Imran Khan be transferred to a hospital for medical examination within 48 hours. Regarding the scope of medical relief, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said the government had approached the Supreme Court to seek clarification on whether the medical relief granted to Khan applied only to him or could be extended to other prisoners, whereas the Supreme Court of Pakistan order stated that the Supreme Court ordered on Tuesday that Imran Khan be transferred to a hospital for medical examination within 48 hours. On the status of the court order, Sheikh Waqas Akram said until the court explicitly stays its own decision, Imran Khan must be moved to the hospital as directed, while the Supreme Court of Pakistan order stated that the Supreme Court ordered on Tuesday that Imran Khan be transferred to a hospital for medical examination within 48 hours. Regarding the location of the examination, the Supreme Court of Pakistan order stated that the Supreme Court ordered on Tuesday that Imran Khan be transferred to a hospital for medical examination within 48 hours, but the Pakistan Ministry of Information statement reported that Imran Khan was taken to the government-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) hospital instead of the court-designated Shifa International Hospital. On the outcome of the examination, the Supreme Court of Pakistan order stated that the Supreme Court ordered on Tuesday that Imran Khan be transferred to a hospital for medical examination within 48 hours, while the Pakistan Ministry of Information statement reported that Imran Khan was returned to Adiala prison early on Friday after a medical examination.