Govt to pursue legal options over Imran’s private hospital transfer: Tarar

The federal government on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court to review its decision allowing incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan to be transferred to Islamabad’s Shifa International Hospital for assessment and treatment by a multidisciplinary medical board.

The review petition was filed by the government through the Islamabad chief commissioner, a day after the Supreme Court issued its ruling.

Earlier, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the government would pursue legal options against the Supreme Court’s order allowing Imran Khan to be transferred to a private hospital, while accusing the PTI of violating the court’s directions by politicising his health.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered Imran’s transfer to the private hospital for treatment following a hearing on a medical board report and a report submitted by the Adiala jail superintendent a day before.

The reports recommended more frequent meetings between the PTI founder and his immediate family and wife to help manage his blood pressure and anxiety, while also highlighting concerns about his health.

Speaking at a press briefing alongside Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, Tarar said the government had never politicised Imran’s health and maintained that he was entitled to medical treatment under the law.

However, he said the government was examining the legal aspects of allowing a prisoner to receive treatment at a private hospital and would pursue the matter before the court.

“Health should never be politicised. Whether we were in opposition or in government, our party has always maintained that position,” he said.

Tarar recalled that during the PTI government, Imran had taunted the opposition over prisoners seeking home-cooked food or making comments that when “they go to jail they fall sick.”

Read: PTI leaders, Fazl welcome SC order for Imran Khan’s hospital transfer

“We never saw our party talking about his health or treatment, or taunting him about his health. Medical facilities are the right of every prisoner, and he has been provided those facilities,” he said.

“The question is whether a private hospital can be specified. Can every prisoner get this facility? We are paying attention to the legality of this matter,” he said.

Tarar said the government would continue to ensure that Imran received treatment in accordance with the jail manual, while legal objections relating to the private hospital would be pursued.

He said the government had consistently urged the PTI not to make political statements about Imran’s health, adding that the Supreme Court had also addressed the issue of politicisation during its proceedings.

Tarar also referred to remarks previously made by Imran in Washington regarding restrictions on home-cooked food for prisoners. “Fear God and ask for forgiveness for the things you politicised and the taunts you made,” he said.

The information minister said the government’s position remained that Imran should receive all treatment available to him under the law and the jail manual.

Meanwhile, Chaudhry said the government had maintained from the outset that matters concerning prisoners should be handled by the institutions legally responsible for them, rather than through political pressure, threats, strikes or protests.

“Ultimately, that is what happened,” Chaudhry said, referring to the Supreme Court’s intervention.

He questioned the PTI’s celebration of the ruling, saying the party had previously rejected the constitutional amendments under which the judges who issued the decision had been appointed or selected, but was now celebrating their ruling as a victory.

“One such small decision, which we believe concerns every prisoner’s right, has been made. On the issue of health, Tarar sahib has already said that our government does not discuss their health,” he said.

Read More: Law minister signals review as cabinet colleague vows to honour SC’s Imran hospital order

He accused the PTI of having previously politicised the medical conditions of political opponents.

“They used to politicise our medical reports. None of us politicised their reports,” he said, referring to the illness of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s wife, Kulsoom Nawaz, and alleging that PTI members had sought to determine whether she was genuinely ill. “We will not debate such things,” Chaudhry said.

He also said that PTI representatives had previously discussed Nawaz Sharif’s medical condition at government and party forums and had sent doctors to examine Sharif while he was imprisoned.

“The court said you cannot do politics because it knew you would. The only sympathy card they have left is Imran Khan’s health. The Supreme Court said you cannot do politics. Who is doing politics now?” he asked.

Chaudhry criticised the PTI for linking the ruling to a possible National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) rather than simply accepting the court’s decision.

“If the courts have given relief, then good. They should not have an excuse to politicise his health and use it as an agenda,” he said.

He also questioned why the PTI was focusing on Imran’s health rather than its performance in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. “They have created such an agenda that people do not focus on their performance,” he said.

Chaudhry also criticised overseas-based vloggers who “live abroad whose job is to say that he has passed away. They want to earn dollars, so they lie.”

He said the government’s focus remained on addressing the problems faced by the people and improving the country’s economic and diplomatic position.

“All people are very clear. Our only focus is the people of Pakistan and their issues. The prime minister and other ministers are standing shoulder to shoulder to get Pakistan out of its problems,” he said.

He again accused the PTI of violating the Supreme Court’s instructions by politicising the issue.

Also Read: SC orders Imran Khan’s transfer to Shifa International Hospital for treatment

Tarar further said the government’s concerns over the private hospital were consistent with the position taken by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar on Tuesday, when he said the government would review the Supreme Court’s order and pursue appropriate legal remedies.

The law minister had argued that transferring a prisoner to a private hospital could raise broader legal questions, particularly whether the same facility would have to be made available to other prisoners.

He had said the government would approach the Supreme Court for review and seek an appropriate modification of the order, while proposing that Imran could instead be examined at a tertiary-care government hospital. The government had also indicated that specialists from other major institutions could be included in the medical board.

The Supreme Court had ordered Imran’s transfer to Shifa International Hospital following consideration of a medical board report and a report submitted by the Adiala jail superintendent. The reports had recommended more frequent meetings between Imran and his immediate family and wife to help manage his blood pressure and anxiety, while also raising concerns about his health.

The order came on the condition that future medical reports will not be made public and the transfer cannot be politicised. The court also ordered authorities to allow meetings between Imran and his family, which authorities abided by and allowed Imran’s sister, Noreen, to meet him later that day.

The government’s position had initially appeared divided on Tuesday, with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry saying the Supreme Court’s decision would be implemented in letter and spirit, while Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said the government would examine the legal parameters of the order.

The government had subsequently maintained that it was not opposed to Imran receiving appropriate medical treatment but had reservations about his transfer to a private hospital and was considering legal options to challenge or modify that part of the order.

In February, it was revealed by a report prepared by Barrister Salman Safdar on the SC’s direction that Imran had informed officials that his right eye was functioning at only 15% capacity. Safdar submitted the report to a two-member bench. As a result, the SC ordered that Imran be granted access to his personal physicians in Adiala Jail.

Imran and Bushra Bibi remain incarcerated in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail. They were sentenced on December 20, 2025, to 17 years in prison in the Toshakhana-II case, which pertains to allegations that the couple unlawfully retained a Bulgari jewellery set gifted by the Saudi crown prince during an official visit to Saudi Arabia.

Imran has been in custody since August 2023, serving a sentence in a £190 million corruption case. He also faces pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act in connection with protests on May 9, 2023.

New medical report surfaces

A medical report submitted to the Supreme Court found that Imran had been experiencing fluctuating blood pressure, palpitations, headaches, restlessness and significant anxiety. He was examined by a PIMS cardiologist on August 1, who recorded his blood pressure at 140/100mmHg and recommended measures to reduce his mental stress, including more frequent meetings with his wife and access to reading material.

A four-member medical board that examined him on August 10 recorded his blood pressure at 140/80mmHg and recommended one hour of walking and relaxation, as well as more frequent interaction with his immediate family and spouse to help control his anxiety and blood pressure.

The report said Imran had undergone at least 39 medical check-ups since his incarceration, with jail medical officers checking him three times a day. It also said his ECG was normal and that his vision had improved to almost normal following treatment for an eye condition. The jail administration maintained that he was receiving adequate healthcare and regular medical monitoring.

PTI, however, questioned the authenticity and completeness of the medical documentation and demanded that Imran be examined by his personal doctors, Dr Asim Yusuf and Dr Faisal Sultan, as well as an independent medical board.

The government rejected claims that Imran was being denied proper medical care. Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah told the Senate that Imran was receiving the best available treatment from specialists and that his medical care and jail meetings were being conducted in accordance with the law and relevant court orders.