Supreme Court Orders Imran Khan’s Hospital Transfer, Family Meetings
ISLAMABAD, August 18, 2026: The Supreme Court has ordered that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan be shifted to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad and remain there until the next hearing, while directing authorities to facilitate meetings with his family and personal physician.
The order came during the hearing of a case concerning access to Imran Khan for his sisters and personal doctors, as well as his medical treatment and records.
The court directed that Dr Faisal Sultan and other specified medical experts be granted access to the former prime minister. It also ordered the formation of a medical board comprising specialists, including an eye expert, a general medicine specialist and Dr Faisal Sultan.
The medical board will prepare a report for submission to the Supreme Court.
The court further directed the government to arrange weekly meetings between Imran Khan and his family and facilitate telephone conversations between him and his children.
Medical Records Ordered
During the hearing, the bench expressed concern over the limited medical information submitted before the court and ordered authorities to provide Imran Khan’s complete medical record before the next hearing.
Justice Shahid Waheed observed that the material presented so far appeared to be only a summary of his medical condition rather than the complete record.
The court also sought details of Imran Khan’s meetings with his sisters and children over the past three years, including relevant call records.
According to the discussion during the hearing, medical reports had raised concerns about his health and indicated that further medical evaluation, including angiography, may be required.
The court questioned whether such procedures could be carried out while Imran Khan remained in jail. The Advocate General Islamabad replied that the procedure could be performed at an outside hospital.
Family Meetings Declared a Fundamental Right
The bench also questioned restrictions on meetings between Imran Khan and his sisters.
Justice Shahid Waheed remarked that meeting family members was not a favour but a fundamental right and questioned why directions issued by the Islamabad High Court had not been fully implemented.
The Advocate General Islamabad told the court that Imran Khan had been allowed 48 meetings with his sisters over the past three years.
The Supreme Court subsequently sought the complete record of those meetings.
During the proceedings, Imran Khan’s sister Uzma Khan was asked not to address the court directly as her counsel was already present.
Court Restricts Political Activity Outside Hospital
The Supreme Court made it clear that the hospital should not become a venue for political activity.
PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja and Parliamentary Secretary Shahid Khattak assured the court that no political activities would be carried out outside the hospital.
Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan stressed that other patients would also be present at the hospital and should not be affected.
The court therefore directed that no political gatherings, media talks or press conferences be held outside the hospital.
Medical Reports to Remain Confidential
The court ordered that Imran Khan’s medical reports be kept strictly confidential.
His family members and lawyers were directed not to share the reports with the media, while the court also warned against using his medical information for political purposes.
The order stated that any violation of these directions could lead to the withdrawal of the relief granted by the court.
The government was also given the option to approach the Supreme Court if it believed the court’s directions had been violated.
Government Opposes Immediate Hospital Transfer
Additional Attorney General Amir Rehman opposed the immediate hospital transfer, arguing that the government had not been issued a notice and that Imran Khan could not be shifted to hospital without following the required legal process.
The court, however, observed that access to medical facilities in view of Imran Khan’s health was a fundamental right.
The hearing was adjourned until September 16, 2026.
Before the hearing, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, who arrived at the Supreme Court, told reporters that PTI remained hopeful about securing Imran Khan’s release through the courts.
The Supreme Court’s order effectively places Imran Khan’s medical treatment, family access and medical records under a set of specific judicial safeguards until the next hearing.