A Pakistani court has issued notice to the state regarding a petition seeking the transfer of former prime minister Imran Khan to a private hospital for specialized medical treatment. The case was heard by the Islamabad High Court after a miscellaneous application was filed by Khan’s political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), requesting that he be shifted to Shifa International Hospital for advanced eye care.
During the hearing, PTI argued that jail authorities had allegedly been conducting medical examinations without transparency and restricting access to his personal doctors. The government, however, has rejected these allegations and maintained that proper medical procedures are being followed.
Khan has been in custody since August 2023 in connection with multiple legal cases. In late January, he was diagnosed with right central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) after reporting partial vision loss in his right eye. Medical reports presented in court showed that his unaided vision was recorded as 6/24 in the right eye and 6/9 in the left eye. With corrective lenses, his vision reportedly improved to 6/9 and 6/6, respectively.
According to official statements, he underwent an initial medical procedure on January 24, which was later confirmed by the government. He also attended a follow-up examination at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) on February 24. Despite these treatments, his family and party representatives have criticized the process, claiming they were not informed in advance and that his personal physicians were denied full access for consultation.
The court has now sought a response from the state before proceeding further in the matter.
