Pakistan’s Imran Khan moved to Islamabad hospital under Supreme Court order

Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister Imran Khan was transferred from Adiala jail to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad on August 20, 2026, after the country’s Supreme Court ordered that he receive specialist medical assessment.

The transfer followed months of demands from Khan’s family and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, his political party, for greater access to medical care. Party spokesperson Zulfikar Bukhari confirmed the move and said the next steps should include independent oversight, qualified specialists, family access and transparency about Khan’s condition.

A three-judge Supreme Court panel had directed the government to move Khan to the private hospital within 48 hours. The court said authorities had a legal obligation to protect the life, health, dignity and security of a prisoner. Judges also indicated that an eye specialist should be involved in his care.

Security was tightened around the Islamabad hospital before the transfer. PTI leaders instructed supporters not to gather outside the facility, seeking to avoid disruption while Khan was examined.

Khan, who served as prime minister from 2018 until he lost a no-confidence vote in April 2022, has been imprisoned since 2023. He faces multiple cases and was sentenced in 2025 to 14 years in a corruption case. Khan and his party deny wrongdoing and say the prosecutions are politically motivated.

The hospital transfer addresses the immediate question of medical access but does not change Khan’s legal status. The scope of his treatment, the findings of specialists and the degree of access granted to his family and lawyers remain important issues to watch.