ISLAMABAD: Uzma Khan, the sister of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder, has urged the Supreme Court to initiate contempt proceedings against the Prime Minister and other government ministers and officials for their ‘wilful, deliberate and contumacious violation of its August 18 order by not shifting PTI founder Imran Khan to Shifa International Hospital’.
Uzma Khan, on Saturday, through advocate Uzair Karamat Bhandari, filed a contempt petition 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.
Chief Commissioner Islamabad Sohail Ashraf, Interior Secretary Ahmed Raza Sarwar, Punjab Inspector General of Prisons Mian Salik Jalal, Adiala Jail Superintendent Sajid Baig, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar have been cited as respondents.
The petitioner said that refusal to implement the order was depriving the petitioner and Imran Khan of their fundamental rights, adding that, in addition to initiating contempt proceedings against the respondents, it was imperative that appropriate steps be taken to implement the order forthwith.
She requested the SC to depute an officer of the court or appoint a local commission to ensure that Imran was immediately shifted to Shifa International Hospital for his medical examination in accordance with the August 18 order.
The petitioner maintained that she had independent standing to file the instant petition, not only under law, but also in terms of paragraph 14(d) of the SC order, which states: “If Mr. Niazi or his family members have any grievance concerning the implementation of this order, they shall also be at liberty to move an appropriate application before this Court.”
The petition mentioned that Imran, at present, was unable to file such a petition on account of the refusal of the Adiala Jail authorities, particularly the Superintendent Jail, to allow him to execute a vakalatnama in favour of the Advocate-on-Record.
While all eyes were on Shifa International Hospital, a private medical facility, during the early hours of Friday, the government quietly moved Imran to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) for a medical check-up, ostensibly due to security concerns, following which he was taken back to Adiala Jail.
The petition contended that the court was being approached in light of the “non-compliance and brazen violations” by the respondents in implementing the SC’s order. “It is clear from the respondents’ own admissions that the court directions contained in the August 18 order were violated,” it said.
“The directions contained in the order were clear, unambiguous, unequivocal and fully capable of implementation,” the petition said, adding that they were issued in the presence of the Islamabad Advocate General and the Additional Attorney General of Pakistan.
“No portion thereof requires any further interpretation, clarification or modification,” the petition argued. It said that the respondents, being the officials responsible for putting the directions into effect, were under an absolute legal obligation to comply with the order “in letter and spirit”.
The petition said that mere filing of a review petition by the Chief Commissioner, Islamabad, did not affect the legal status of the court order and did not justify non-compliance with it.
It said that even if a clarification or modification was required, or there was an apprehension of a security situation, an application needed to be filed.
It said that the failure to shift Imran to Shifa International Hospital “leaves no manner of doubt that [the respondents] have consciously chosen to disregard and violate the Aug 18 court order”.
The petition said that the respondents’ conduct undermined the authority of the SC, adding that such conduct warranted cognisance by the court.
The petition requested the SC to issue show-cause notices to the respondents and direct them to appear personally.
The petition also requested the court to impose appropriate punishments against the respondents and direct them to take all appropriate steps to implement the directions contained in the Aug 18 order for Imran’s medical examination.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026