Imran Khan to be moved from jail to hospital after Pakistan Supreme Court order
Islamabad: The Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered on Tuesday that former Prime Minister Imran Khan be moved to a hospital from jail, his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party said, meeting a longstanding demand of his party and family, who had raised concerns about his health.
Cricketer-turned-politician Khan, 73, has been in jail since August 2023, convicted in a string of cases that he says were politically driven following his ouster in 2022.
The court has directed Khan to be moved to Shifa International Hospital within 48 hours and to remain there until September 16, Khan's spokesperson Naeem Haider Panjutha said on X.
Khan, who served as prime minister from 2018 until he was ousted through a parliamentary no-confidence vote in 2022, has been incarcerated since 2023 following convictions in several cases, including graft charges and the alleged disclosure of official secrets.
Khan and his political aides have consistently maintained that the legal proceedings are politically motivated to block his political return.
Following his removal, Khan led nationwide rallies alleging that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's administration conspired with Pakistan's military establishment and Washington to remove him. The Pakistani administration subsequently launched a crackdown against the PTI leadership and supporters, barring the party from participating in the 2024 general elections.
Khan's supporters have repeatedly alleged that the cases against him are politically motivated and designed to prevent his political comeback.