ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday re-filed a contempt petition against the federal government and Adiala Jail officials for failing to comply with the Supreme Court’s order to shift Imran Khan to Shifa International Hospital for a comprehensive medical examination.
Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court Registrar’s office, after raising an objection, returned the contempt petition. According to sources, the objection related to the fact that the parties facing contempt allegations were not provided with a list of the allegations. However, when the PTI lawyers, after removing the objection, re-submitted the petition, the SC Office admitted it and allotted a number (8/2026).
Dr Uzma Khan also filed an application for an early hearing of her contempt of court plea, citing the deteriorating health of the PTI founder. In the application, she mentioned that the request for an early hearing was connected to the former premier’s health and life.
Imran Khan’s sister contended that the federal government defied the Supreme Court’s order and deviated from the judicial ruling on her brother’s transfer to Shifa Hospital. She said that authorities could have approached the relevant court if they required any clarification regarding the order. She maintained that deviation from the Supreme Court’s decision was not permissible, requesting that the contempt of court petition be fixed for hearing during the ongoing week.
Dr Uzma Khan, on August 22, filed a petition through senior advocate Karamat Uzair Bhandari, under Articles 187 and 204 of the Constitution, read with Order XXIX rules 1 and 2 and Order XXXV rules 5 and 6 of the Supreme Court Rules, 2025, and Sections 3 and 4 of the Contempt of Court Ordinance, 2003.
She made Chief Commissioner Islamabad, Sohail Ashraf, Interior Secretary Ahmed Raza Sarwar, Punjab Inspector General Prisons Mian Salik Jalal, Adiala Jail Superintendent Sajid Baig, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as respondents.
The petition urged the Supreme Court to initiate contempt proceedings against the respondents for their willful, deliberate and contumacious violation of the August 18 order by not shifting PTI founder Imran Khan to Shifa International Hospital.
Speaking to the media outside the apex court, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan said that he met the registrar at the public facilitation centre, where the registrar informed him that objections had been raised to their petition.“We have been given back the file of the contempt petition,” he said.
Gohar said that the party would address the objections and file the contempt petition again. “We want the same bench to be constituted today so that the case can be heard on Thursday,” he added.
PTI chairman further said that the SC’s August 18 decision had not been implemented. “We requested an early hearing of the contempt petition,” Gohar said. He said the PTI founder’s health was very important. “Please arrange meetings between the PTI founder and his family members.”
The government had also filed a review petition before the apex court, calling its order “discriminatory in nature”. Following the order, speculation emerged that Imran may have reached an understanding with the authorities over his possible release from prison.
On August 21, Imran was taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), instead of Shifa Hospital, for a medical examination in the early hours of the morning and returned to Adiala jail after doctors declared him “medically fit”.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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