The Supreme Court registrar’s office on Tuesday accepted a contempt of court petition submitted by Dr Uzma Khan, sister of imprisoned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, challenging his hospital transfer. Earlier, the petition was returned due to objections related to the absence of a detailed list of allegations against the respondents.
Following the initial rejection, PTI representatives refiled the contempt petition after addressing the registrar’s concerns, subsequently receiving case number 8/2026. Alongside this, Dr Uzma requested an expedited hearing, highlighting the worsening health condition of her brother.
In her plea, she emphasized that the urgency was directly linked to Imran Khan’s medical state and life. She accused the federal government of disregarding the Supreme Court’s directive by deviating from the judicial order concerning the former premier’s transfer to Shifa International Hospital. Dr Uzma argued that any need for clarification should have been sought through the appropriate legal channels, stressing that non-compliance with the Supreme Court’s ruling was unacceptable. She urged that the contempt petition be scheduled for hearing within the current week.
Dr Uzma initially filed the petition on August 22, seeking contempt proceedings against those allegedly responsible for violating the court order, including show-cause notices and their personal appearance before the bench. The petition was submitted through PTI Secretary-General Salman Akram Raja and Uzair Bhandari.
The Supreme Court’s August 18 order mandated the transfer of Imran Khan, held at Adiala Jail, to Shifa International Hospital for medical examination. However, he was instead taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), where doctors from Shifa were reportedly present, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar.
Imran Khan has been in detention since August 2023 following convictions his party describes as politically motivated. Since his removal from office in April 2022 via a no-confidence vote, he has faced multiple legal challenges.
One day after the Supreme Court’s order, the federal government filed a review petition, which was initially returned due to objections. Subsequently, the Islamabad chief commissioner submitted another petition seeking an expedited hearing of the review.
The PTI has strongly criticized the alleged violation of the court’s directive regarding Imran Khan’s transfer, while the government defended the decision, citing security concerns. Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry clarified that the transfer to PIMS was an administrative decision unrelated to the Punjab government. He emphasized that both Imran Khan’s treatment and security were priorities, acknowledging that the choice of PIMS over Shifa was expected to provoke controversy but was made to ensure the former premier’s safety.
