Uzma Khan, sister of former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Imran Khan, has submitted a new plea to the Supreme Court requesting an expedited hearing of a contempt petition related to her brother’s hospital transfer. This plea follows the court scheduling the contempt case for September 16 before a three-judge bench including Justice Shahid Waheed, Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan, and Justice Shakil Ahmed.
In her petition, Uzma highlighted the worsening condition of Imran Khan while in custody, emphasizing the critical importance of his health and life. She argued that the Supreme Court’s August 18 directive was not implemented as intended, noting that Imran was moved to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) rather than Shifa International Hospital, as ordered.
The plea demands the former prime minister be transferred to Shifa International Hospital for proper medical evaluation and treatment, reinforcing the need for full and prompt enforcement of the court’s August 18 ruling. It contended that ongoing non-compliance with judicial instructions constitutes a deliberate and flagrant violation of the law.
Uzma further asserted that the court’s standard case scheduling procedures should not hinder an urgent hearing given the gravity of Imran Khan’s medical condition. The plea also mentioned that an earlier request for an urgent hearing on August 25 was dismissed by the registrar’s office.
She has now appealed for the contempt petition to be heard within the current or following week, urging the court to reconsider the September 16 date in favor of an earlier session.
Previously, the Supreme Court had ordered the transfer of Imran Khan, detained at Adiala Jail since August 2023, to Shifa International Hospital for medical examination. However, he was instead admitted to Pims, where doctors from Shifa International Hospital were reportedly present, as stated by Information Minister Attaullah Tarar.
Imran Khan has been imprisoned following convictions his party describes as politically motivated, after his removal from office in April 2022 through a no-confidence vote. Since then, he has faced multiple legal challenges.
In a significant development, the federal government filed a review petition against the August 18 Supreme Court order, which was initially returned by the registrar’s office due to objections. Subsequently, the Islamabad chief commissioner submitted a petition seeking an expedited hearing of the review petition.
While the PTI condemned the violation of the court’s order regarding Imran Khan’s transfer to Shifa International Hospital, the government defended its decision, citing security concerns as the reason for the hospital change.
