Archive · 22 Aug 2026
Imran Khan’s Hospital Visit Sparks Torture and Court-Order Dispute
Imran Khan is a former prime minister of Pakistan who is in prison.
He was taken from jail to a hospital for a health check.
The Supreme Court had said he should go to a private hospital called Shifa International Hospital.
Instead, officials took him to a government hospital called PIMS.
The government said doctors examined him and found him medically fit.
His sister Uzma said Khan told her that he was being tortured and that being kept alone was harming his health.
She said he had a bandage over one eye and that she was unsure whether proper tests were done.
Khan’s party says officials may not have followed the court’s instructions.
Imran Khan was taken from Adiala Jail to the government-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences for an overnight medical examination.
The Supreme Court had directed authorities to move Khan to private Shifa International Hospital instead.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said doctors at PIMS conducted a detailed examination and found Khan medically fit.
Khan’s sister Uzma said he described severe torture, mental-health problems linked to solitary confinement and unjust treatment in jail.
Uzma also questioned the examination, alleging no blood test was performed, while Khan’s party prepared a possible contempt petition.
- Who
- Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, his sister Uzma Khan, physician Faisal Sultan, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, and Pakistani authorities.
- What
- Khan received a medical examination at PIMS instead of the private hospital specified in a Supreme Court directive, prompting allegations of mistreatment and noncompliance.
- When
- The visit began Thursday evening and continued until around Friday’s Fajr prayer; Khan was returned to jail afterward, and Uzma spoke at a Friday press conference.
- Where
- Khan was moved from Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad, rather than Shifa International Hospital.
- Why
- The examination followed health concerns and a report submitted by the Adiala Jail superintendent, after which the Supreme Court directed that Khan receive a medical checkup and examination.
Family and Opposition Claims
Government and Authorities’ Account
Compliance with the court order
Family and Opposition Claims
Khan’s family and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf say authorities violated the Supreme Court’s direction by taking him to PIMS instead of Shifa International Hospital. His physician, Faisal Sultan, waited at Shifa.
Government and Authorities’ Account
Authorities arranged and completed Khan’s examination at PIMS before returning him to Adiala Jail. The reports do not include a direct response from interior or law ministries or jail authorities to the alleged violation.
Treatment in prison
Family and Opposition Claims
Uzma said Khan told her he had faced severe or repeated torture, severe injustice and mental distress from solitary confinement. She said he compared his confinement with that of former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi.
Government and Authorities’ Account
The government account cited doctors’ assessment that Khan was medically fit. The articles provide no direct government response to the torture allegations.
Quality of the medical examination
Family and Opposition Claims
Uzma alleged that no blood test was performed and questioned which doctor was responsible, although she said Khan’s blood pressure was checked and that an eye injection was administered.
Government and Authorities’ Account
Tarar said a team of doctors conducted a detailed examination and declared Khan medically fit. Uzma said a doctor named Arif later identified himself to her.
- Prison
- Imran Khan has been imprisoned at Adiala Jail since 2023, with the existing summary specifying August 2023.
- Court-directed hospital
- The Supreme Court directed authorities to take Khan to Shifa International Hospital, a private facility.
- Hospital used
- Authorities instead took Khan to the government-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad.
- Government account
- Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said a team of doctors conducted a detailed examination and declared Khan medically fit.
- Family account
- Uzma Khan said her brother described severe torture, injustice and health complications associated with solitary confinement.
- Reported examination details
- Uzma said Khan’s blood pressure was 120/80, one eye was covered with a bandage, and an injection was administered to one eye.
- Legal response
- Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf would approach the courts with a contempt petition.
Sources
Imran Khan hospital twist: ‘Not taken to court-ordered Shifa’; sister alleges ‘torture’
Imran Khan 'severely tortured in jail, no blood test done at hospital', claims sister
'Health Issues Due To Isolation': What Imran Khan Told Sister At Hospital