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Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was taken to a government hospital in Islamabad early Friday (August 21) morning after the Supreme Court ordered medical treatment for the former World Cup-winning captain.
The 73-year-old former cricketer was moved from Adiala Jail under heavy security. But within a couple of hours after, the legendary all-rounder was taken back into jail. Earlier, Pakistan government opposes Supreme Court order to shift Imran Khan to hospital.
Imran Khan taken to PIMS instead of Islamabad Hospital after Supreme Court order
The Supreme Court had ordered the government to shift Imran Khan to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad for a detailed check-up and treatment by a team of specialists. The order came after his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, approached the Supreme Court over his health condition.
But Imran was taken to the state-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, also known as PIMS, instead of the private hospital. The government said that security concerns were the main reason behind the decision not to take the former prime minister to Shifa International Hospital.
Imran Khan returns to jail within hours
At PIMS, a team of doctors examined Imran. The medical team included specialists in eye care, heart health, and general medicine. After the examination, doctors declared him fit to return to jail. Imran was then taken back to Adiala Jail at around 5 AM on Friday, just a few hours after arriving at the hospital.
The Pakistan government's information minister, Attaullah Tarar, stated in a post on X (formerly Twitter): “In the light of the Supreme Court's order, the prisoner was taken to the hospital under appropriate security arrangements during the night between August 20 and 21.
A team of qualified doctors, including an ophthalmologist, a cardiologist, and a physician, conducted a detailed examination of him and declared him medically fit. After the completion of this entire process, he was shifted back to Adiala jail on the morning of August 21 at approximately 5am.”
Government’s challenge to Supreme Court order rejected
The government had also tried to challenge the Supreme Court's hospital order, but its petition was returned because of incomplete paperwork. The authorities have argued that allowing Imran to get the treatment at a private hospital would be unfair and would set a bad example.
Imran's health has remained a serious issue since February 2026. His party has claimed that his eyesight in his right eye had fallen sharply after an eye-related problem was not treated properly in jail. He has already been taken to PIMS several times for short medical visits. Amid this, Darren Gough slams PCB for leaving Shaheen Afridi out of England Tests.
Imran Khan has been in jail since August 2023
The concern over his health has also reached the international cricket community. Fourteen former international captains, including Greg Chappell, Sunil Gavaskar, and Kapil Dev, had written to Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif earlier this year, seeking proper medical care and humane treatment for Imran.
The former Pakistan captain has been in Adiala Jail since August 2023. He is serving prison sentences in several cases, including corruption cases that he and his political party have rejected.
