Imran Khan Hospital Transfer IHC Delays Hearing, 1 Major Twist
Imran Khan Hospital Transfer: IHC Adjourns Hearing Until March 12
The issue of Imran Khan Hospital Transfer once again came under discussion as the Islamabad High Court (IHC) postponed the hearing regarding the former prime minister’s medical treatment. The court adjourned the case until March 12 after observing that the counsel representing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan was not fully prepared to argue the matter under the relevant jail regulations.
The hearing highlighted important legal and medical concerns surrounding Imran Khan Hospital Transfer, particularly the request to move the former prime minister from Adiala Jail to Shifa International Hospital for specialized medical care.
The bench included Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir and Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro.
At the beginning of the hearing, the Advocate General for Islamabad informed the judges that a report prepared by the superintendent of Adiala Jail had already been submitted to the court. However, the bench pointed out that the report should have been shared with the opposing counsel earlier so that they could properly prepare their arguments.
The discussion around Imran Khan Hospital Transfer became more detailed when PTI’s senior lawyer Sardar Latif Khosa read parts of the jail superintendent’s report before the court.
Medical Reports Presented in Court
According to the report presented during the hearing, the PTI founder initially received a medical examination inside the jail hospital. Later, he was taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) for further evaluation.
After evaluating his condition, the doctor recommended that a particular injection should be administered in a hospital setting rather than inside the prison facility.
This recommendation further strengthened the argument being made in favor of Imran Khan Hospital Transfer.
PTI Lawyer’s Arguments
During the hearing, Sardar Latif Khosa informed the bench that he had attached a detailed report submitted by Advocate Salman Safdar. Safdar had previously appeared as a Friend of the Court in a related case before the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
Khosa told the court that Safdar’s report highlighted serious concerns about the PTI founder’s health and suggested that immediate medical attention was necessary.
According to him, the conditions of detention at that time had raised several concerns, prompting legal challenges and petitions.
Background of the Case
The legal debate over Imran Khan Hospital Transfer has roots in earlier proceedings as well. In 2023, a petition was filed before the Supreme Court regarding Imran Khan’s health and detention conditions.
The apex court had sought a detailed report at that time. Later developments continued to fuel the discussion about whether the PTI founder should be shifted to a hospital for medical treatment.
According to Khosa, when the matter resurfaced in 2026, he informed the Supreme Court that Imran Khan was suffering from an eye condition that required medical attention.
Initially, Khosa claimed, government authorities denied the issue.
Government’s Opposition
The federal government opposed the request for Imran Khan Hospital Transfer during the hearing.
The Advocate General argued that the application filed by the PTI legal team was not legally maintainable under the existing framework.
He informed the court that, following directions from the Supreme Court, a medical board had already been formed to monitor the health condition of the former prime minister.
The board consists of doctors from PIMS, including Dr Arif and Dr Nadeem Qureshi.
According to the Advocate General, this medical board was already responsible for supervising Imran Khan’s treatment. Therefore, the request for Imran Khan Hospital Transfer to Shifa International Hospital was unnecessary at this stage.
He further argued that the Supreme Court had not issued any specific directions regarding the recommendations mentioned in Safdar’s report.
Because of this, the high court could not grant the relief requested through the current application.
Court’s Observations
During the proceedings, Justice Soomro pointed out that the legal judgment being cited by the Advocate General had later been followed by another order.
Justice Tahir also remarked that since the matter had now come before the Islamabad High Court, the bench would carefully examine the legal position before making a decision.
The judges asked PTI lawyer Latif Khosa to clarify what specific course of action he wanted the court to adopt regarding Imran Khan Hospital Transfer.
However, the bench eventually noted that Khosa was not fully prepared to argue the case, particularly with regard to the relevant jail rules.
Because of this lack of preparation, the court decided to postpone further proceedings.
Hearing Adjourned
After hearing arguments from both sides, the Islamabad High Court adjourned the case related to Imran Khan Hospital Transfer until March 12.
The judges stated that the adjournment would allow the legal team to better prepare arguments regarding the applicable jail rules and the legal framework governing prisoner medical treatment.
