PTI Challenges Government Over Supreme Court Medical Order Compliance with Renewed Contempt Filing

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) announced on Tuesday that it has refiled a contempt petition after the Supreme Court registrar returned the initial submission due to procedural issues. The case centers on the August 18 court order directing authorities to transfer 73-year-old former Prime Minister Imran Khan to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad, which the government allegedly circumvented by moving him to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).

PTI spokesman Zulfi Bukhari stated, “The objections have been addressed, the contempt petition refiled, and the question remains simple: who authorized the executive to disregard or dilute a binding order of the apex court?” Khan’s sister, Dr. Uzma Khan, originally filed the petition against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and officials on Saturday, citing non-compliance with the Supreme Court’s directive.

The court had mandated Khan’s transfer to Shifa within 48 hours, allowing him to stay until September 16 pending medical evaluations, and ensuring his personal physician and sister could participate in his care. Instead, Khan was moved from Adiala Prison to PIMS on Thursday night, where Dr. Uzma Khan and his physician, Dr. Faisal Sultan, were present. However, Sultan spent nearly three hours at Shifa waiting for Khan to arrive, who instead underwent a limited examination at PIMS, including routine eye screening and blood pressure checks.

Government officials deny violating the order, asserting Khan received proper care at PIMS with ophthalmologists from Shifa and that all requirements were met. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar emphasized, “All the requisites, all the requirements of the Supreme Court order were fulfilled,” while citing security concerns over PTI supporters gathering near Shifa Hospital as justification for the venue change. He also accused Khan’s family of politicizing his medical treatment.

Separately, the government sought a review of the Supreme Court’s order specifying Shifa, arguing that allowing a convicted prisoner to receive treatment at a private facility could set a precedent for other inmates. This review petition also faced procedural rejection by the registrar.

Imran Khan, who led Pakistan from 2018 until his removal via no-confidence vote in April 2022, has been imprisoned since August 2023 and faces over 100 legal cases, including corruption allegations and charges related to violence during his 2023 arrest. While most convictions remain suspended or overturned pending appeals, Khan maintains his innocence.

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