The Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered that jailed former prime minister Imran Khan be moved from prison to a private hospital.
The ruling creates a fresh legal confrontation between the judiciary and the administration led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The government has already announced it will challenge the order to transfer Khan.
The legal battle centers on the health of the former prime minister. According to his lawyer, Khan has lost 85% of the vision in his right eye [1]. This leaves him with only 15% vision in that eye, necessitating immediate specialized hospital care [1].
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said the government intends to contest the court's directive. The administration has not specified the exact legal grounds for the challenge, though it has previously resisted requests for Khan's transfer to outside facilities.
The Supreme Court issued the order after reviewing the medical concerns presented by Khan's legal team. The court determined that the current jail facilities were insufficient to address the specific vision loss reported by the former leader.
Khan remains in custody while the government prepares its legal response. The tension between the executive branch and the Supreme Court highlights ongoing instability within the country's legal and political systems, a conflict that has intensified since Khan's imprisonment.
“The Supreme Court ordered that Imran Khan be transferred from jail to a private hospital.”
This dispute underscores the deep systemic friction between Pakistan's judiciary and its executive government. By challenging a Supreme Court order regarding a high-profile political prisoner's health, the Shehbaz Sharif administration risks a constitutional crisis that could further polarize the electorate and test the independence of the court.
