Pakistan: Imran Khan returned to prison after undergoing medical tests

The Pakistani government announced the early return of former Prime Minister Imran Khan to prison on Friday morning, following a medical examination at a private hospital in the capital, Islamabad, in compliance with a directive from the Supreme Court regarding his medical care, according to The Associated Press.

Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Khan was transferred at midnight from Adiala Prison in Rawalpindi to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad, where he underwent a comprehensive examination by a medical team before being returned to custody.

Tarar added in a post on the X platform that the medical team, which included an ophthalmologist, a cardiologist, and an internist, declared that Khan was “in good medical health,” noting that his sister, Azmat Khan, was present throughout the examination and treatment period.

Earlier, Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party had confirmed his transfer to the hospital based on an order issued by the Supreme Court last Tuesday, in response to repeated demands from the party and his family members for him to undergo examinations and receive necessary medical care.

Khan’s family and his party had called for permission to allow him to remain at the hospital for treatment, while a senior Pakistani minister affirmed that the government would abide by the court’s decision and would consider the possibility of Khan receiving treatment abroad if adequate medical care could not be provided within government facilities.

The court had ordered the transfer of Khan, 73, from Adiala Military Prison in Rawalpindi, where he has been detained since August 2023, to a private hospital in the capital, following concerns raised by his family and party about his health condition.