The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday examined the issue of PTI founder Imran Khan’s treatment at a private hospital alongside petitions filed by three other inmates from Adiala Jail. These prisoners are seeking permission for treatment at private medical facilities and the opportunity to communicate with their families.
Justice Muhammad Asif presided over the hearing, which involved petitions from inmates Ilyas Khan, Muhammad Ismail Khan, and Awais Altaf. The court directed the jail superintendent to provide detailed comments on each petition and issued notices to the jail authorities for their response.
Barrister Akhtar Cheena, representing Muhammad Ismail Khan, informed the court that his client suffers from haemophilia and internal bleeding. He highlighted that Ismail Khan had been hospitalized ten times in the last two months without noticeable improvement. Cheena emphasized that treatment for haemophilia is currently only available at Shifa Hospital in Pakistan.
Invoking a Supreme Court verdict, the counsel argued that prisoners should be transferred to private hospitals if the required treatment is unavailable in government facilities. The ruling also clarified that the prisoner’s family could bear the costs of such treatment. Based on this, he requested the formation of a medical board and questioned whether a prisoner should not be moved to a private hospital if a liver transplant is unavailable at a government hospital.
Advocate Syed Jaffar, appearing via video link for petitioner Awais Altaf, stated that his client suffers from fever and a heart condition. He asserted that access to adequate medical care is a fundamental right for prisoners and requested the court to order Altaf’s transfer to Shifa Hospital, as government hospitals cannot provide the necessary treatment.
Meanwhile, counsel for Muhammad Ismail Khan noted that his client has been imprisoned at Adiala Jail for nine years. He mentioned that one of Ismail’s brothers resides in Dubai and that the two have not communicated for several years. The counsel requested the court to instruct jail authorities to facilitate a WhatsApp call between Ismail Khan and his brother.
The court sought detailed responses from jail officials on all three petitions and adjourned the hearing until August 27 for further proceedings.
