Pakistan’s top court has ordered that the former Prime Minister Imran Khan should be moved to a private hospital amid concerns over his deteriorating health. The Supreme Court has directed Khan to move to Shifa International Hospital within 48 hours and remain there until September 16.ย
The 73-year-old former cricketer-turned-politician has been incarcerated at Pakistan’s Adiala Jail since 2023 and is facing several cases. His party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has repeatedly alleged that authorities have prevented him from meeting family members and party colleagues and have failed to provide adequate medical treatment for his health problems, including an eye condition.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, whose province is governed by Khan’s party, said the health of the former prime minister should be treated with the seriousness it deserves. “We neither politicise Imran Khan’s health, nor has Imran Khan ever raised the issue of his health to seek any kind of relief,” Afridi said.
He called for Khan’s treatment to be conducted under the supervision of his personal doctors and in the presence of his family, saying authorities should demonstrate the necessary moral courage to accept the demand. Speaking to reporters outside the Supreme Court in Islamabad, Afridi warned that public frustration over Khan’s continued incarceration could reach a point where even the former prime minister’s call for reconciliation might not be enough to restore peace.
“I can see a spark of revolution in the eyes of the youth, and no one will be able to control it,” Afridi said. His remarks came a day after he threatened nationwide protests if Imran Khan was not allowed to meet PTI colleagues who were scheduled to visit him in jail this week.
Afridi had said that all parliamentarians belonging to Khan’s party would visit the prison on Thursday and warned that the “entire Pakistan” could witness massive protests if the meeting was denied. He also participated in the sit-in outside the Supreme Court on Tuesday, where he cautioned that public anger could grow to such an extent that even if Imran Khan later called for reconciliation, people might no longer respond to an appeal for peace.ย
Also Read:ย
Is Imran Khan dead? Pakistani journalist’s explosive claim about former PM sparks massive buzzย