Dr Uzma Khan, sister of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, submitted a second contempt of court petition to the Supreme Court on Thursday. The petition addresses the failure to comply with the court’s August 18 directive regarding Imran Khan’s medical treatment and family visitations while he remains incarcerated.
In her petition, Dr Uzma highlighted that Imran Khan has been denied meetings with family members despite the court’s explicit instructions. She further stated that the former premier has not been allowed phone communication with his sons. The petition also noted that Dr Uzma, Aleema Khan, and Qasim Zaman have been barred from visiting the jailed PTI founder.
Additional evidence was attached to the contempt petition, accompanied by two miscellaneous applications aimed at submitting further documentation. Imran Khan has been imprisoned since August 2023, following convictions his party and supporters describe as politically motivated. Since his removal from office in April 2022 via a no-confidence vote, he has faced numerous legal challenges.
This latest petition follows the Supreme Court’s recent refusal to expedite a hearing on Dr Uzma’s initial contempt plea related to her brother’s transfer to a hospital. The first petition, filed on August 25, arose after the government moved Imran Khan to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) for medical examination, rather than Shifa International Hospital as ordered by the Supreme Court.
The August 18 Supreme Court ruling mandated that Imran Khan, held at Adiala Jail, be transferred to Shifa International Hospital for medical evaluation. Meanwhile, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) recently directed jail authorities not to subject Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, to solitary confinement. This order came as the IHC disposed of petitions challenging their alleged isolation in prison.
The petitions were submitted by Aleema Khanum on Imran Khan’s behalf and Mubashra Khawar Maneka, Bushra Bibi’s daughter, seeking to declare the solitary confinement of the former prime minister and his spouse unlawful. Justice Khadim Hussain Somroo of the IHC announced the verdict after reviewing these petitions.
