August 22, 2026
By Hashir Ahsan
ISLAMABAD
In a significant development regarding the hospital transfer of PTI founder Imran Khan, his party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) has filed a contempt of court petition in the Supreme Court. Submitted by Imran Khan’s sister, Dr. Uzma Khan, the application requests contempt proceedings against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the Federal Minister for Law, the Information Minister, and others.
‘A direct violation of judicial directives’
The petition filed by Dr. Uzma Khan asserts that show-cause notices should be issued to the Prime Minister and other respondents for committing contempt of court, and requested that they be punished according to the law. Additionally, the application urges the immediate transfer of Imran Khan to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad. To ensure implementation of the court order regarding his medical examination at Shifa International Hospital, the petitioner has requested the appointment of a court officer or a local commission, stating that failing to transfer the PTI founder to Shifa Hospital constitutes a direct violation of judicial directives.
According to the details of the contempt petition, Imran Khan was taken to PIMS instead of Shifa International Hospital, despite the Supreme Court ordering his transfer to Shifa within two days and directing the formation of a medical board for his check-up and treatment.
The court order had specified that the medical board include a physician, general surgeon, internist, ophthalmologist, and cardiologist, while also mandating that Dr. Faisal Sultan and Dr. Uzma Khan be included during the medical evaluation and treatment.
The petition highlights that a complete medical exam was not conducted at PIMS, as he only received a routine retina check, an eye injection, and a blood pressure test before being sent back to Adiala Jail. It further points out that the government acknowledged taking him to PIMS instead of Shifa Hospital under the pretext of security concerns.
The petition argues that the PTI leadership had already instructed workers not to gather outside Shifa Hospital, and notes that while Dr. Faisal Sultan was taken to Shifa in a separate convoy, Dr. Uzma Khan and Imran Khan were taken to PIMS in another. The petition contends that the government attempted to create a false impression of compliance, which obstructs justice and amounts to contempt, thereby requesting that the responsible parties be summoned in person and penalized.
PIMS releases statement
Meanwhile, a statement released by PIMS Hospital confirms that Imran Khan underwent a comprehensive check-up; however, his health report cannot be made public in compliance with the Supreme Court’s ruling.
The PIMS press release said that due to security concerns and overcrowding at Shifa International Hospital, Khan was brought to PIMS on the night between August 20 and 21, where two ophthalmologists from Shifa Hospital along with PIMS specialists conducted detailed examinations.
The ophthalmology opinion was integrated into the overall evaluation by PIMS doctors, who then compiled a medical fitness board report. PIMS emphasized that out of respect for patient privacy and in accordance with Supreme Court instructions, the medical report’s contents will not be disclosed.
Commenting on the matter, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja said that the bench scheduled to hear the case next week is unavailable, but the hearing will take place as soon as a bench is formed.
Regarding the timing of the filing, he explained that even if the petition had been filed earlier, a hearing would only have been possible by Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, as a bench does not typically assemble within an hour unless special judicial intent exists. He added sarcastically that courts have been known to convene late at night to strip the party of its election symbol, whereas filing a petition with full evidence took necessary time.
Discussing the medical assistance, Salman Akram Raja asserted that Imran Khan was intentionally kept away from Shifa Hospital as part of a deliberate plan, rejecting claims of security issues or crowds, and expressed hope that the Supreme Court would take notice as the entire nation looks toward the judiciary.
Federal government’s petition
On Friday, the federal government filed a review petition against the Supreme Court’s interim order directing the transfer of Imran Khan to Shifa International Hospital. The petition was filed by the Chief Commissioner of Islamabad through the Advocate General of Islamabad.
The petition maintains that while the Supreme Court issued instructions on August 18 to move the PTI founder to Shifa International Hospital, this order exceeds judicial jurisdiction and should therefore be reviewed.
According to the petition, the PTI founder was sentenced to three years in prison by an Additional Sessions Judge on August 5, 2023, after which an appeal was filed in the Islamabad High Court. During those proceedings, the PTI founder submitted a plea under Section 561-A of the Code of Criminal Procedure seeking transfer to Shifa International Hospital for medical treatment. That plea was rejected by the IHC on March 12, 2026, leading to an appeal in the Supreme Court.
The federal government argued that Rule 197 of the Pakistan Prison Rules 1978 clearly outlines the procedure for transferring a prisoner to an outside hospital. In certain cases, government approval and action through the Inspector General of Prisons are mandatory, alongside required police surveillance for the duration of the hospital stay. Furthermore, the petition stated that Article 10-A of the Constitution guarantees the right to a fair trial and due process.
The matter came before the Supreme Court for the first time, and formal notices were not properly issued to the concerned parties.The federal government added that the PTI founder has undergone regular medical examinations and has been treated by a medical board multiple times.
It argued that the court should have obtained expert medical opinions before determining whether his health condition genuinely warranted a transfer to an outside hospital.