Imran Khan returns to jail after medical exam, doctors declare him fit
Islamabad: Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan was shifted back to prison early Friday after undergoing a medical examination at a hospital in the capital, where a team of doctors declared him "medically fit".
Khan, who has been imprisoned since 2023 on corruption charges he says are politically motivated, was examined by an ophthalmologist, a cardiologist and a physician, according to Information Minister Attaullah Tarar.
The Supreme Court had on Tuesday ordered that Khan be taken to a specified private hospital within 48 hours for a health check-up, following complaints about his condition. The court also directed that he be allowed to meet his family, a right he had been denied for months.
However, Khan was not taken to the Shifa International Hospital named in the order. Instead, he was driven to the government-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS). Tarar said the change was made due to the "security situation created by PTI workers". A senior police officer told the BBC that the heavy security presence outside Shifa was a decoy.
On Tuesday night, Khan's sister Noreen Khan visited him in prison. His other sister, Dr Uzma Khan, accompanied him during the hospital visit and remained present throughout the overnight medical examination, Tarar said.
The area around Shifa International Hospital was sealed off with barriers, police vans and armoured vehicles. Some PTI activists gathered along the route and near the hospital despite warnings from the court and party leaders to stay away.
The PTI's information secretary, Sheikh Waqas Akram, questioned the handling of the medical examination: "Was the court order implemented in its true spirit, or was it merely a superficial exercise for propaganda?"
The court intervention was the most significant relief Khan has received from the judiciary since his imprisonment. He has consistently denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that the cases against him are baseless and designed to keep him out of politics.
Khan's supporters have staged protests demanding his release, while the government insists that he is being treated according to law and that all necessary medical care has been provided.
The development comes amid a broader political crisis in Pakistan, with Khan's party PTI and the current administration locked in a bitter confrontation. Analysts say the court-ordered medical examination and family visit could have wider implications for the handling of Khan's detention.
As Khan was taken back to prison after the examination, his legal team said they would pursue further court petitions to address his grievances, including better access to medical care and family meetings.
