August 18, 2026
By Hashir Ahsan
ISLAMABAD
The Supreme Court, on Tuesday mornnig, delivered a major decision regarding the health and visitation rights of former Prime Minister and founder of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI), Imran Khan. A three-member bench, headed by Justice Shahid Waheed, ordered that Imran be shifted to Shifa International Hospital until the next hearing, and instructed the formation of a medical board, directing that his family be allowed to meet him once a week. The court also instructed PTI and his family to refrain from politicizing his medical treatment.
During the hearing of the case concerning Imran Khan’s health, treatment, and family meetings, Justice Shahid Waheed raised questions over the non-submission of the PTI founder’s complete medical record to the court. He remarked that the material provided was merely a summary of the medical report and directed that the complete record be presented before the next hearing.
Referencing the medical reports, Justice Shahid Waheed said that the PTI founder’s pulse and heart condition were not normal, and his vital organs were beginning to be affected. Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan inquired whether angiography was possible in prison when the report mentioned its necessity, to which the Advocate General of Islamabad responded that angiography could be conducted at an outside hospital.
The court subsequently ordered the transfer of Imran Khan to Shifa International Hospital until the next hearing, instructed the formation of a special medical board, and directed that he be moved under tight security while maintaining law and order outside the hospital. The court also declared that PTI would bear the expenses of the private hospital, while Dr. Faisal Sultan and Dr. Uzma Khan would accompany the PTI founder. Regarding family visits, Justice Shahid Waheed remarked that meeting his sisters was not ‘a favor’ but ‘a fundamental right’, and it was not the state’s role to violate the law.
The court summoned the complete record of visits with the PTI founder at Adiala Jail over the past three years, as well as details regarding phone calls with his children, and ordered that family meetings be arranged once a week. PTI leaders were also explicitly instructed by the court not to politicize the PTI founder’s health and treatment.
“PTI members must ensure there is no politics over his medical condition,” Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan remarked, while Justice Shahid Waheed added that PTI and Khan’s family must submit an affidavit promising not to speak to the media after their visits.
Counsel Uzair Bhandari requested the court for a complete check-up of the PTI founder at Shifa International Hospital, emphasizing that the cause behind the blood clot needed to be revealed. The court also called for complete details of all cases against the PTI founder, with Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan inquiring about how many cases he is an under-trial prisoner in, how many cases he has been convicted in, and in how many cases his sentences have been suspended.
The Supreme Court adjourned further hearing of the case until September 16, ordering the PTI founder to remain at Shifa Hospital until the next hearing and summoning Adiala Jail officials for the upcoming session.
PTI welcomes decision
In response the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf appreciated and welcomes the Supreme Court’s decision, issuing a declaration endorsing the court order for shifting Imran Khan immediately to Shifa International Hospital and the formation of a medical board comprising specialist doctors, including experts in eye, heart, and other diseases. PTI also demanded the inclusion of Dr. Faisal Sultan and Dr. Uzma Khan in the medical board, stating that the involvement of his personal physician and family would enable an unbiased review of his medical history.
PTI urged immediate and undelayed implementation of the court order, calling for guaranteed family visits in light of the directive and full respect for legal and human rights during this difficult time. Praising the court’s protection of Imran Khan’s fundamental right to health and human dignity, PTI appealed to its workers not to gather outside Shifa Hospital, to maintain a peaceful environment in the interest of Imran Khan’s health, and to cooperate in ensuring complete compliance with court orders, noting that the Supreme Court’s ruling reinforced the demand for the best medical care that millions of Pakistanis had been concerned about for weeks, while expressing expectation that relevant authorities would follow the directives in letter and spirit.
Senior politician Fawad Chaudhry thanked the Supreme Court, the government and the establishment, saying that the Supreme Court had made a commendable decision that had brought down the political temperature in Pakistan after a long time. He added that it would be unfair not to appreciate Barrister Gohar and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, as the difficult process they carried out was not easy, expressing hope that those eager to stop this progress and sabotage improvements in politics would be foiled so that a sustainable political process could continue.
Meanwhile, PML-N leader Abid Sher Ali reacted to the decision by stating that the government had previously provided high-quality treatment facilities to him, and if he feels his treatment can be better at Shifa, there should be no issue with that, wishing for his recovery there while advising PTI members to become part of committees.
Meanwhile, PPP Senator Saleem Mandviwalla also commented on the Supreme Court’s decision, stating that if a person needed to go to a hospital, they should be able to go, adding that he believed the government should have sent Khan to hospital earlier, rather than after a decision made by the Supreme Court. He noted that during the PPP government from 2009 to 2013, President Zardari was the first to order the release of political prisoners, emphasizing that political prisoners should not exist in a democracy and that the government itself should have transferred him to the hospital if his health was deteriorating.