News Desk
ISLAMABAD :Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the transfer of PTI founder Imran Khan, who has been detained in Adiala Jail for three years, to Shifa International Hospital until the next hearing, directing authorities to ensure his treatment and medical evaluation.A three-member bench issued the ruling while ordering the formation of a medical board for Imran Khan and directed that he be moved to the hospital under tight security. It also instructed authorities to ensure that law and order outside the hospital is not disrupted.During the hearing of cases concerning meetings with Imran Khan and his medical treatment, Justice Shahid Waheed questioned why his complete medical record had not been provided. He noted that the material submitted to the court was only a summary of medical reports.The court directed that Imran Khan’s complete medical record be submitted before the next hearing, observing that once the record is presented in court, it would no longer remain confidential.Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan also questioned whether the angiography mentioned in the medical report could be performed in jail. The Islamabad advocate general told the court that it could be carried out at a hospital outside the prison.Justice Shahid Waheed raised concerns about the medical reports, noting that they indicated abnormalities in Imran Khan’s pulse and heart condition and suggested that his vital organs were beginning to be affected.The court also questioned restrictions on meetings between Imran Khan and his sisters. The judges said meeting family members was a fundamental right and questioned why directions issued by the Islamabad High Court were not being followed.The Islamabad advocate general told the court that Imran Khan had met his sisters 48 times over the past three years. The Supreme Court subsequently sought complete details of those meetings, as well as records of his conversations with his children.PTI lawyer Uzair Bhindari requested that Imran Khan’s sisters and doctors be allowed to meet him and that he undergo a complete medical check-up at Shifa International Hospital.The court also discussed assurances that no media statements would be made following meetings with Imran Khan. The judges said PTI and the family would have to provide affidavits confirming that no media talk would take place after meetings.Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan stressed that Imran Khan’s health and treatment should not become a subject of political activity.The apex court also sought details of Imran Khan’s cases, including the number in which he is an under-trial prisoner, the cases in which he has been convicted and those in which sentences have been suspended.The court directed Adiala Jail authorities to provide records of meetings with Imran Khan over the past three years and explain why Islamabad High Court directions were allegedly not followed.Justice Shahid Waheed asked which of Imran Khan’s sisters should be allowed to meet him. Lawyer Uzair Bhindari replied that Uzma Khan should be permitted to meet the PTI founder because she is a doctor.
