ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan was transferred back to jail on Friday, authorities said, hours after the politician was taken to hospital for court-ordered medical checks.
The Supreme Court ordered on Tuesday that Khan, 73, be taken to the private Shifa International Hospital in the capital Islamabad for treatment, after his lawyers filed a petition over health concerns.
The ex-cricket captain and his wife Bushra Bibi were both sentenced late last year to 17 years in prison in a case Khan argues was politically motivated.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar wrote on X that Khan was taken to a public hospital instead of Shifa, blaming the “security situation” caused by supporters at the private clinic.
READ MORE: Imran Khan shifted to Shifa International Hospital
“A team of qualified doctors, including an ophthalmologist, a cardiologist and a physician, conducted a detailed examination of him and declared him medically fit,” Tarar said. “After the completion of this entire process, he was transferred back to Adiala Jail.”
KP CM Sohail Afridi criticised the handling of the hospital visit.
The authorities “don’t even take the court seriously”, Afridi told a news conference in Islamabad.
“This is against the whole judicial system,” he added, saying the party would “file a contempt of court case”.
Hundreds of police, some wielding sticks, were deployed near Shifa late on Thursday, with roads leading to the hospital cordoned off ahead of the expected transfer. Dozens of supporters had waited outside the hospital.
The court had warned against public gatherings on the hospital grounds or the use of information about Khan’s health for political gain, cautioning that any breaches could lead to the order being reversed. The next court hearing was set for September 16.
Haleem Adil Sheikh, a senior PTI leader, told AFP there was hope in the party that Khan “would receive better treatment” after the court order.