Supreme Court Orders Imran Khan’s Transfer to Shifa Hospital, Allows Meeting With Sister and Doctor

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has ordered that PTI founder Imran Khan be transferred to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad and directed authorities to facilitate a meeting between him, his sister Uzma Khan and personal physician Dr Faisal Sultan in a case concerning access to family members and private doctors.
At the outset of the hearing, PTI counsel Uzair Bhandari requested that Imran Khan be allowed to meet his personal physician Dr Asim Yusuf and his sister Uzma Khan. He assured the court that they would not speak to the media after the meeting.
Justice Shahid Waheed remarked that, according to the medical reports, Imran Khan’s pulse and heart condition were not normal. He said the reports indicated that his vital organs had begun to be affected and that he was suffering from anxiety and a heart-related issue.
Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan urged PTI not to politicise Imran Khan’s illness, saying the focus should instead be on his well-being.
After a brief break in the proceedings, Justice Shahid Waheed questioned why the complete medical record of Imran Khan had not been provided, observing that the material submitted to the court was only a summary of the medical report.
### Supreme Court Seeks Complete Medical Record
The Supreme Court directed authorities to submit Imran Khan’s complete medical record before the next hearing. Justice Shahid Waheed observed that once the record was submitted to the court, it would no longer remain confidential.
The bench also questioned the authorities regarding meetings between Imran Khan and his sisters.
The Islamabad Advocate General said that meetings would not be allowed if anyone violated the law.
Justice Shahid Waheed questioned whether the state would also violate the law if someone else was doing so. He observed that meetings between sisters and their brother were a fundamental right, not a favour, and questioned why the Islamabad High Court’s directions were not being implemented.
The Islamabad Advocate General informed the court that Imran Khan’s sisters had met him 48 times over the past three years.
The Supreme Court sought complete details of those meetings, as well as records of Imran Khan’s conversations with his children, including relevant call detail records.
During the hearing, Uzma Khan was stopped from speaking directly. Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan told her that her lawyer was present and that she should not address the court herself.
Bhandari argued that the reason behind Imran Khan’s reported blood clot should be established. He also referred to the events of 1979, saying that they did not want history to repeat itself.
Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan directed the authorities to provide complete details of Imran Khan’s legal cases, including the number in which he is an under-trial prisoner, the cases in which he has been convicted and those in which his sentences have been suspended.
### Medical Examination at Shifa International Hospital
Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan pointed out that the medical report recommended an angiography and asked whether the procedure could be carried out in jail.
The Islamabad Advocate General replied that it could be performed at an outside hospital.
Justice Shahid Waheed again stressed that the complete medical record should be submitted instead of merely a summary. He also questioned why there were objections to allowing meetings with Imran Khan’s sisters, saying that denying such meetings could not be treated as a favour because they were a fundamental right.
Bhandari reiterated the assurance that Dr Uzma Khan and Dr Asim Yusuf would not speak to the media after meeting Imran Khan.
The Islamabad Advocate General said the matter concerning the media assurance was pending before the Islamabad High Court in an intra-court appeal.
Additional Attorney General Amir Rehman said that his side had not yet been served notice in the matter. Justice Shahid Waheed questioned why he was appearing before the Supreme Court if no notice had been served.
The Supreme Court ultimately ordered Imran Khan’s transfer to Shifa International Hospital and directed that the required medical arrangements be made there.
Before the hearing, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, who arrived at the Supreme Court, told the media that they remained hopeful of the courts and would seek Imran Khan’s release through legal proceedings.