Jailed Imran Khan shifted to hospital amid tight security

ISLAMABAD  -  Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former prime minister Imran Khan was moved to the Shifa Hospital from Adiala Jail after Thursday midnight amid tight police security.

Imran was taken out of the Rawalpindi’s jail from gate (No 1) under massive security protocol and heavy police contingents were also deployed on both sides of the route. TV footage showed several police vehicles escorting the vehicle when Imran Khan was shifted to hospital from the jai. The move comes following months of legal battles over his health and access to personal doctors.

Videos widely shared on social media showed a large convoy of vehicles leaving the prison under heavy security, though Khan himself was not visible. He was expected to arrive shortly afterward at Shifa International Hospital in the capital.

Security was tight around the hospital, with police deployed on surrounding roads, access restricted and media personnel kept at a distance. Khan’s party had urged supporters not to gather outside the facility in accordance with Supreme Court directions.

The transfer is politically sensitive because Imran Khan, 73, remains one of the most popular political leaders despite more than three years behind bars and prolonged periods largely out of public view.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered authorities to transfer Khan to Shifa International Hospital within 48 hours for specialist examination and treatment, with his personal physician involved in the medical process. The court allowed him to remain there until Sept. 16, subject to recommendations by a medical board.

“Today Imran Khan Sahib’s check-up and treatment is about to take place at Shifa Hospital in the presence of his family and personal doctors,” Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party said in a post on X.

Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi held a key meeting on Thursday night to review arrangements for his medical treatment and possible transfer from Adiala Jail.

According to sources, the meeting focused particularly on the security and administrative arrangements being put in place for Imran Khan’s transfer to Shifa International Hospital, in line with the Supreme Court’s order.

The two sides also discussed the prevailing security situation and other matters of national importance.

The development assumes significance as the government faces a narrowing window to implement the court’s directive while simultaneously pursuing legal clarity over its scope.

The Supreme Court had ordered that Imran Khan be shifted to Shifa International Hospital within 48 hours for medical examination and treatment.

Sources said Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi briefed the prime minister on the preparations for the possible movement of the former premier from Adiala Jail to Islamabad, including security arrangements along the route and around the hospital.

Meanwhile, security has been tightened around Shifa International Hospital, with authorities making preparations for Khan’s possible arrival.

Routes around the hospital have also reportedly been restricted as law-enforcement agencies prepare for the transfer. The Supreme Court’s order had directed that Imran Khan be shifted to Shifa International Hospital and provided treatment under a medical board, with his personal physician Dr Faisal Sultan and sister Dr Uzma Khan allowed access. Family members were also permitted to meet him once a week.

The meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi therefore comes at a critical juncture, as the government weighs the court’s directive, security considerations and the legal framework governing medical treatment of prisoners. Earlier, PM also chaired high level security and law and order meeting.

The meeting was attended by interior minister Mohsin naqvi, heads of intelligence agencies, counter terrorism department chiefs and IGPs of four provinces.

The meeting reviewed security situation in Balochistan and KP and in Sindh and Punjab and decided to take further measures to improve the security situation. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif assured that federal government would provide all resources to LEAs for affective CT operations and latest technology to police and CTDs.