Islamabad, August 21, 2026: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan was taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) for a medical examination during the night and returned to Adiala jail early Friday after doctors declared him medically fit, the government said, triggering a fresh confrontation with the opposition over compliance with a Supreme Court order directing his transfer to Shifa International Hospital.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Imran was taken to hospital under appropriate security arrangements during the night of August 20-21, where a team of doctors, including an ophthalmologist, cardiologist and physician, conducted a detailed examination.
In a post on X, Tarar said Imran’s sister Uzma Khan was present during the examination and that he was declared medically fit before being shifted back to Adiala jail at approximately 5am on Friday.
The minister subsequently clarified that the examination was conducted at Pims, a government-run hospital, with doctors from Shifa International Hospital also present.
“Due to the security situation created by PTI workers on the way to and outside Al Shifa Hospital, he was taken to Pims,” Tarar said, adding that the medical examination found Imran to be healthy.
The government maintained that Imran had been provided medical treatment in the past and would continue to receive healthcare in accordance with applicable rules.
The development came two days after a three-member Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Shahid Waheed ordered the government to shift Imran to Shifa International Hospital within two days for examination and treatment by a multidisciplinary medical board.
The court had issued the interim directions while hearing petitions seeking Imran’s hospitalisation, access to personal physicians and family members and provision of his medical record to his family.
The court stressed the state’s constitutional and legal obligation to safeguard the life, health, dignity and security of persons in custody, observing that imprisonment did not deprive a prisoner of the right to humane treatment and necessary medical care.
Government cites security concerns
Shifa International Hospital, located in Islamabad’s H-8 sector, was placed under heavy security on Thursday night amid preparations for Imran’s possible arrival.
According to an Islamabad Police security order, around 800 personnel from different law enforcement branches were deployed in and around the hospital following a security assessment. Roads leading to the facility were cordoned off and security pickets were established.
Islamabad Police Chief Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi also visited the hospital twice to oversee security arrangements.
The government subsequently said the security situation created by PTI supporters around the hospital prompted authorities to take Imran to Pims instead.
PTI, however, rejected the government’s explanation and denied that party workers had gathered outside Shifa International Hospital or created any security threat.
Imran’s sister disputes government account
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Uzma Khan, who was present during her brother’s examination, gave a different account of the events.
She said she and Imran’s personal physician, Dr Faisal Sultan, were asked to reach Adiala jail on Thursday evening. According to Uzma, she was subsequently taken separately to Pims while Dr Sultan was directed to Shifa International Hospital.
She said she initially questioned why Imran was being taken to Pims when the Supreme Court had specifically ordered his transfer to Shifa.
According to Uzma, Imran was examined by doctors at Pims, including specialists who assessed his eye condition and blood pressure. She said his blood pressure was normal and that his eyesight had improved, with only a small haemorrhage remaining.
Uzma also said Imran told her he had been subjected to prolonged isolation and complained about limited access to family members, reading material and television. She quoted him as saying that his health had deteriorated because of the mental stress associated with isolation.
Dr Sultan said he had been taken to Shifa International Hospital and waited there for around two to two-and-a-half hours, expecting Imran to arrive. He was later informed that Imran might not be coming and was asked to return.
He said he subsequently learned that Imran and Uzma had been taken to Pims instead.
PTI accuses government of defying Supreme Court
The PTI has accused the government of failing to implement the Supreme Court’s order and announced that it would approach the apex court.
PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram said the government had conducted what he described as a “superficial exercise” before returning Imran to jail and demanded that his complete medical reports be made public.
He rejected the government’s claim that PTI workers had created a security problem outside Shifa International Hospital, saying the party had itself urged supporters to remain away from the facility.
Uzma also said Imran had not been unhappy about being taken to Shifa, contrary to any suggestion that he had resisted the proposed transfer.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, who also addressed the press conference, accused the government of disregarding the Supreme Court’s directive and said the PTI would pursue legal action over the matter.
Opposition to approach Supreme Court
The opposition’s joint parliamentary party also accused the government of committing contempt of court by not shifting Imran to the hospital specified in the Supreme Court’s order.
The opposition alliance Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) said after a meeting at Parliament House on Friday that it had decided to approach the Supreme Court on Saturday and adopt a constitutional and legal course of action.
The meeting was chaired by National Assembly Opposition Leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai and attended by Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and other opposition leaders.
The participants expressed concern over Imran’s health and demanded that no compromise be made on his medical treatment.
The meeting also endorsed the formation of a broader opposition alliance and agreed to intensify coordination among opposition parties. It reaffirmed plans for a September 27 protest and long march and decided to invite other opposition parties to participate.
Government and PTI remain divided over medical care
The controversy follows weeks of disagreement between the government and PTI over Imran’s health and access to medical care.
A report submitted by the Adiala jail superintendent to the Supreme Court stated that medical officers examined Imran three times a day and monitored his blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen saturation.
However, an annexure to the report said Pims physician Dr Akhtar Ali Bandeshah examined Imran on August 1 after he complained of fluctuating blood pressure, palpitations, headache and restlessness.
The doctor recommended measures to reduce mental stress, including more frequent meetings with family members, access to reading material and further cardiac testing. A Pims medical board subsequently examined Imran on August 10 and recommended daily walking, relaxation, access to newspapers, magazines, television and books, as well as more frequent interaction with his immediate family.
The report also noted that Imran had previously received treatment at Pims for an eye condition and that his vision had substantially improved following treatment by ophthalmologists.
The Supreme Court’s August 18 order came against this backdrop, with the bench directing that Imran be transferred to Shifa International Hospital and examined by a multidisciplinary medical board.
The federal government subsequently filed a review petition challenging the order, arguing that the directive was discriminatory and inconsistent with prison rules. However, the Supreme Court registrar’s office returned the review petition on Thursday, citing incomplete paper books.
The government’s decision to take Imran to Pims rather than Shifa has now added another layer to the dispute, with the government maintaining that it complied with the spirit of the court’s direction by arranging a comprehensive medical examination, while the PTI and other opposition parties insist that the specific order to transfer him to Shifa International Hospital was not implemented.
The dispute is expected to return to the Supreme Court as the PTI and opposition prepare to seek judicial intervention over the events surrounding Imran’s overnight medical examination and his subsequent return to Adiala jail.
