Former prime minister Imran Khan has been transferred back to jail, hours after being taken to a private hospital for court-ordered medical checks, the government said.
The Supreme Court ordered on Tuesday that Imran, Pakistan’s most popular politician, be taken to the Shifa International Hospital in the capital Islamabad within 48 hours for treatment, after his lawyers petitioned the court over concerns that his health was poor.
“A team of qualified doctors, including an ophthalmologist, a cardiologist and a physician, conducted a detailed examination of him and declared him medically fit,” Information Minister Attaullah Tarar wrote on X yesterday about Imran’s health checks.
“After the completion of this entire process, he was transferred back to Adiala Jail.”
Imran and his wife Bushra Bibi, who is also his spiritual guide, were both sentenced late last year to 17 years in jail.
Tarar also said Imran’s sister, Uzma Khan, who is a medical doctor, was present during the medical examination.
Hundreds of police, some wielding sticks, were deployed near the hospital late on Thursday, with roads leading to the clinic cordoned off, ahead of the transfer.
Dozens of the 73-year-old’s supporters had waited outside the hospital.
The former prime minister received eye treatment at a hospital this year, with his family and lawyer saying at the time that he had lost most of the vision in his right eye.
The next court hearing was set for Sept 16. — AFP
