Islamabad, August 22 (TNA) Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan was sent back to jail just hours after being shifted to a hospital for court-ordered medical checks, in a move that has renewed controversy over his treatment and detention.
Khan was moved from Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail to Islamabad’s Shifa International Hospital early Friday after the Supreme Court ordered authorities to take him there for examination and treatment.
According to Pakistani officials, a team of doctors including an ophthalmologist, a cardiologist and a physician examined him and declared him medically fit, after which he was transferred back to Adiala jail around 5 a.m. local time.
The short hospital stay came amid long-running concerns raised by Khan’s family, lawyers and supporters over his health after more than three years in prison. The Supreme Court had earlier ordered that Khan be moved from jail to hospital within 48 hours, following complaints about his medical condition.
His party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, has said the latest transfer back to prison violated the spirit of that directive. Khan, 73, has been in prison since August 2023 and has faced multiple convictions that he and his party describe as politically motivated.
The episode adds another layer to the already tense standoff between Khan’s supporters and the government, with his health, legal status and prison conditions remaining central issues.