ISLAMABAD(National Times)- The Supreme Court directed the relevant authorities on Tuesday to shift jailed PTI founder Imran Khan to Islamabad’s Shifa International Hospital for a complete medical checkup in the next few days.

A three-member SC bench, headed by Justice Shahid Waheed and comprising Justices Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Ishtiaq Ibrahim, issued the ruling on several petitions seeking Imran’s hospitalisation as well as his meetings with family members.

Imran had approached the SC in May, seeking directions for his transfer to Shifa International Hospital, access to his personal physicians, family members and counsel, and the provision of his medical details to his family.

The court today ordered the constitution of a medical board at Shifa International Hospital to examine the former premier, and directed jail authorities to ensure weekly meetings between Imran and his family members, as well as telephonic conversations with his sons.

The court observed that since Imran’s health was at stake, and as the right to life and access to medical facilities were rights enshrined under Article 9 of the Constitution, this order was being issued.

“Mindful of this fundamental right, we are issuing this order to ensure health and safety of the prisoner,” Justice Waheed said.

The court issued its directives after Additional Attorney General (AAG) Chaudhry Aamir Rehman opposed the suggestion to shift the prisoner to Shifa International Hospital.

The AAG contended that the prisoner could not be shifted to the private hospital at the moment, and that no notice to this effect had been issued to the government.

Nevertheless, the AAG participated in the hearing, observed Justice Waheed while dictating the order.

The court-ordered medical board is to include a cardiologist, general medicine specialist, eye specialist as well as Dr Faisal Sultan, the personal physician of Imran. Petitioner Dr Uzma Khan, the sister of Imran, will also be associated with the medical examination.

As assured by the petitioner, the court ordered all necessary expenses of a complete medical checkup were to be borne by the petitioner’s family and attendants.

The court order also has several caveats. The family members of the prisoner, and the doctors or a lawyer associated with the case must not share the medical report prepared by the hospital’s medical board with the media or the public at large, or use it for any political purposes.

In case of a violation of the court order, the facility extended by the SC will be withdrawn forthwith, the order cautioned, adding that if the government believes the facility is being misused, they will be at liberty to move an appropriate application in this regard.

Likewise, the petitioner’s side can also file an application in case of reluctance on the part of the government, the order stated.

Additionally, Imran’s party, family members and lawyers associated with the case must also ensure that no public gathering or rally will be arranged outside the precincts of Shifa Hospital, the order said.

The Court also ordered weekly meetings between the family members and the prisoner. Telephonic conversations with the sons of Imran will also be part of the order.

The court will resume the part-heard case on Sept 16.

‘Ray of hope’

The PTI welcomed the court order, expressing hope that immediate and complete implementation of the directives would be ensured without any delay.

In a statement shared on its X account, the party also appealed to its supporters and workers not to gather outside the Shifa International Hospital and respect the court order.

“We appeal to all our workers to co-operation in ensuring the implementation of the court order and play a responsible role in maintaining a peaceful environment outside the hospital, in the interest of Imran’s health and treatment,” the statement read.

The party termed the court order an “important step” towards safeguarding Imran’s fundamental right of health and human dignity.

Separately, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja said a ray of hope had emerged from the Supreme Court after its directives regarding Imran’s health.

Speaking to the media outside the court, he said the Supreme Court had directed that Imran be shifted to Shifa International Hospital in two days. “We are grateful to God today, a demand we had been making for a year has been accepted,” he added.

He said the order was an “excellent” one, adding that it would ensure that Imran’s family received authentic information about his health.

Moreover, the PTI secretary general said, he had assured the Supreme Court that he and his party would abide by all its orders. “We were told that there should be no crowding outside Shifa International Hospital, and I assured them that […] we will not let any disruption in the treatment of any patient at Shifa International Hospital.”

He asked PTI workers and supporters not to gather outside the Shifa International Hospital.

Raja said he had also committed to the court that Imran’s medical report would not be made public and the matter of his health would not be politicised.

“We made this promise to the court because Imran’s health and life are important to us,” he said.

Speaking alongside him, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi also expressed hope that the court order would be implemented soon and termed the court order a “ray of hope”.

He said all PTI workers owned the commitments made by Raja and asked them not to take any step that would disrespect the court or the PTI.

Afridi said some “miscreants”, not from the PTI, might try to create chaos, but the party workers must remain peaceful.

‘Adequate healthcare facilities being provided to Imran’

The ruling came a day after the superintendent of the Adiala jail — where Imran is imprisoned since Aug 2023 — submitted a report to the SC on the ex-premier’s health condition.

According to the report, the jail administration said adequate healthcare facilities were being provided to the couple, with their health and well-being a priority. Medical officers visit Imran Khan thrice a day, checking his meals and recording his blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen saturation.

However, an annexure to the report stated that Dr Akhtar Ali Bandeshah of Pims examined him on Aug 1 and noted complaints of uncontrolled and fluctuating blood pressure, palpitations, headache and restlessness. The ex-premier had attributed his symptoms and stress partly to infrequent meetings with his wife, family and social contacts, as well as the absence of newspapers and TV.

The doctor recommended measures to reduce mental stress, including more frequent meetings with his wife and access to reading material. He also recommended a CT coronary angiography and an increase in BP medication, noting that the 74-year-old PTI leader faced a risk of complications.

On Aug 10, the SC was informed, a medical board comprising Pims specialists examined him after he complained of heaviness in the head and palpitations. It recommended a one-hour daily walk and relaxation in his prison routine, besides access to newspapers, magazines, television and books.

The board also recommended more frequent interaction with immediate family members or his spouse, saying this could help control his anxiety and blood pressure.

The report also cited his treatment for an eye condition at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) in Islamabad and said his vision had almost returned to normal after intervention by senior ophthalmologists.

Imran has been taken to Pims for eye treatment multiple times after his eye ailment — right central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) — came to light in late January.

Meanwhile, the PTI and the government have been engaged in a blame game, with the latter accusing the former of a lack of transparency in not ensuring appropriate treatment for Imran.

For its part, the opposition had been demanding that the former premier be shifted to Shifa International Hospital, be treated in the presence of his personal physicians and allowed to meet his family.