Islamabad: Former Prime Minister Imran Khan returned to prison after undergoing medical tests

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was returned to prison just hours after being transferred to a private hospital in the capital, Islamabad, for medical examinations, according to a statement by Information Minister Attaullah Tarar. Tarar posted on his official X account that “a team of specialist doctors declared Imran Khan medically fit. Once these procedures were fully completed, he was transferred to Adiala Prison around dawn on Friday, August 21, 2026.” The three-judge bench of the Supreme Court had ordered Khan’s transfer to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad after his lawyers filed a petition with the court, asserting that his health had deteriorated and that he required medical examinations. However, the Pakistani Information Minister stated in his X post that the former prime minister was instead taken to the government-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences hospital in the capital due to the “security situation” created by Khan’s supporters near the private clinic. Attaullah Tarar said, “A team of qualified doctors, including an ophthalmologist, a cardiologist, and a general physician, conducted a thorough examination and declared him medically fit.” He added, “After completing these procedures, he was returned to Adiala Prison.” The Pakistani Information Minister noted that Khan’s sister, Dr. Ummah Khan, who is a physician, was present during the examination. Khan had been transferred from prison to the hospital for these examinations by order of the Supreme Court, as announced by his party. Hundreds of police officers, some carrying batons, were deployed late Thursday near Shifa International Hospital, and roads leading to the clinic were closed ahead of the transfer. Dozens of Imran Khan’s supporters gathered outside the private hospital.