Imran Khan back in jail after court ordered hospital visit amid health concerns
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Imran Khan back in jail after court ordered hospital visit amid health concerns")
A security personnel stands guard outside the Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad on August 20, 2026 after Pakistan's Supreme Court ordered to transfer jailed former prime minister Imran Khan to hospital for medical treatment. Photograph: (AFP)
Imran Khan was briefly taken to Islamabad’s Shifa International Hospital for a medical check-up amid health concerns, before being returned to jail under tight security.
Pakistan’s former prime minister, Imran Khan, who had been serving his jail sentence, was briefly taken to a hospital for a medical check-up early Friday (Aug 21) before being taken back to prison. This came amid uproar over health concerns of the incarcerated founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) that led to the Supreme Court issuing an order earlier this week, directing Khan to be moved to Islamabad’s Shifa International Hospital for treatment.
According to a Dawn report, tight security measures were undertaken outside the hospital during Khan’s move. Pitras Bukhari Road and Service Road South had been cordoned off while hundreds of law enforcement personnel were also deployed in and around the hospital premises.
Confirming his arrival at the hospital, Zulfi Bukhari, a spokesman for Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, told AFP, “It’s confirmed that he has arrived at Shifa International Hospital.”
“The Supreme Court’s order has been complied with,” he added.
Arif Alvi, Pakistan’s former president and a PTI member, also confirmed the development on social media. In a post on X, he wrote, “Tonight, Pakistan is dancing with joy. Imran Khan has been transferred to Shaukat Khanum Hospital.”
Supreme Court order
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This came after the country’s Supreme Court on Tuesday (Aug 18) directed the government to move the cricketer-turned-politician to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad within the next two days.
“We are mindful of the constitutional and legal obligation of the state, and consequently of the Supreme Court, to safeguard the life, health, dignity and security of persons in custody,” the court ordered. “A prisoner does not, by reason of his incarceration, cease to be entitled to humane treatment and necessary medical care.”
The 73-year-old has been serving a 14-year prison sentence since August 2023 after he was charged with corruption and other crimes. Khan, who was found guilty of concealing details of Toshakhana gifts, has insisted that the charges were politically motivated. He was also found guilty in a $259 million corruption case, also known as the Al-Qadir Trust case. However, while being held at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail, reports have emerged about his health concerns, with his party members, family and supporters expressing outrage.
Khan served as the prime minister from 2018 to 2022. He was ousted in a no-confidence vote when the country was facing a political crisis fuelled by tensions between his government and the military establishment. He was arrested in May 2023, triggering a nationwide protest.
