The Supreme Court has scheduled the hearing of a contempt of court petition for September 16. The petition was filed by Dr Uzma Khan, sister of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, concerning the alleged failure to comply with the court’s August 18 directive to transfer the former prime minister to Shifa International Hospital for medical treatment.
The apex court formally registered the petition as Criminal Original Petition No. 8 of 2026 after resolving objections raised by the registrar’s office, allowing the plea to be resubmitted. Dr Uzma sought contempt proceedings against government and prison officials for not implementing the Supreme Court’s order regarding Imran’s medical examination and treatment.
Initially, the petition faced objections from the registrar’s office. Subsequently, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and senior party leader Sardar Latif Khosa met the registrar and were assured that the matter would be placed before a bench once the objections were addressed. Dr Uzma has also filed a separate application requesting an expedited hearing of the contempt plea.
This development unfolds amid an ongoing legal dispute between PTI and the government over the enforcement of the Supreme Court’s August 18 order. On that date, a three-member bench headed by Justice Shahid Waheed, with Justices Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Ishtiaq Ibrahim, directed the government to transfer Imran Khan from Adiala jail to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad within two days. The court mandated that Imran undergo examination and treatment by a multidisciplinary medical board.
The order was issued during hearings on petitions related to Imran’s hospitalization, access to his personal doctors and family, and the provision of his medical records. However, on the night between August 20 and 21, Imran was taken to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) instead of Shifa International Hospital and was soon returned to Adiala jail.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar explained that the decision to take Imran to PIMS was due to security concerns caused by PTI supporters around Shifa International Hospital. The government stated that a team of doctors, including specialists, examined Imran at PIMS and declared him medically fit. Nevertheless, PTI and Imran’s family disputed this account, alleging that the Supreme Court’s directives were not properly followed.
Dr Uzma, present during the medical examination, claimed the assessment at PIMS was insufficient and that Imran’s medical records were unavailable to the doctors. She questioned why he was taken to a government hospital when the Supreme Court had specifically ordered his transfer to Shifa International Hospital.
In the contempt petition, Dr Uzma named several government and prison officials as respondents, including Islamabad Chief Commissioner retired Lt Sohail Ashraf, Interior Secretary Ahmed Raza Sarwar, Punjab Inspector General of Prisons Mian Salik Jalal, and Adiala Jail Superintendent Sajid Baig. Additionally, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar were listed as respondents.
The petition accused the respondents of willful and deliberate disobedience of the Supreme Court’s August 18 order. It requested the initiation of contempt proceedings against those responsible and urged the court to ensure immediate enforcement of its directives. Dr Uzma also sought appointment of an officer or a local commission to monitor the implementation and guarantee Imran’s transfer to Shifa International Hospital for the ordered examination and treatment.
Meanwhile, the government has filed a separate review petition challenging the Supreme Court’s August 18 order. The Islamabad Chief Commissioner has petitioned the court to review and recall the directive mandating Imran’s transfer to Shifa International Hospital. The government argued that the order was issued without hearing a necessary party and conflicted with the Pakistan Prison Rules, 1978.
It further contended that allowing a prisoner to be treated at a private hospital of choice could set a precedent for other inmates, potentially opening the “floodgates” for similar demands. The government’s review petition was initially returned due to incomplete documentation but was expected to be refiled after corrections.
The PTI has consistently maintained that the government cannot override a judicial directive with its own arrangements. Party leaders have repeatedly called for Imran’s transfer to Shifa International Hospital and insist that the medical examination be conducted strictly the Supreme Court’s instructions.
