Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan was taken back to Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi after undergoing a medical examination at Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad. The examination was conducted on Friday by a team of 6 doctors, who said he did not need to remain admitted and could be kept in prison.
Khan was taken to the hospital from Adiala Jail late on Thursday night. Security was strengthened after his arrival, with the hospital’s lights switched off, staff members’ mobile phones collected and media personnel outside removed from the area. He was later transferred back to prison under tight security after the examination was completed.
The government has again approached Pakistan’s Supreme Court over Khan’s treatment. It filed a review petition on Thursday seeking a change to an order that allowed him to be sent to a private hospital. An earlier petition on the same issue was returned by the court’s registrar’s office because required documents were incomplete.
Khalid Yousuf Chaudhry, one of Khan’s lawyers, said he had been waiting outside Adiala Jail after the deadline set by the Supreme Court but was not allowed to meet his client. Chaudhry said he needed Khan’s signatures on a contempt petition and a power of attorney. He alleged that the restriction was intended to prevent a petition concerning Khan’s treatment from being filed, but said the lawyers would submit it anyway.
A medical report presented in court had raised concerns about Khan’s health, citing fluctuations in blood pressure, a rapid heartbeat and significant mental stress. His recent blood pressure was recorded as 140/80, while his pulse was 54 beats per minute. The report said his blood pressure had been 120/80 in February.
The Supreme Court has ordered a medical board to assess Khan. It directed that his sister, Dr Uzma Khan, and his personal doctor be included, along with several specialist doctors. The board is expected to review his previous medical records, examine the reported blood-clot issue and determine whether treatment can continue in prison or requires hospital admission.
Khan, 73, has been in prison since August 2023, when he was arrested after receiving a 3-year sentence in the Toshakhana case. He and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party say the cases filed against him after he was removed as prime minister in 2022 are politically motivated. The Pakistani government and investigative agencies reject that allegation and say the cases are proceeding through legal channels.
He received relief in the cipher and iddat-marriage cases, while one Toshakhana sentence was suspended. The source also reports a separate Toshakhana sentence of 17 years for Khan and Bushra Bibi in December 2025, linked to the alleged purchase of valuable state gifts at reduced prices.
