Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered that jailed former prime minister Imran Khan be shifted to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad within two days for medical assessment and treatment. The court said Khan, 73, should remain at the private hospital until the next hearing on September 16, and also allowed him one weekly meeting with his family during his stay.
The order came after months of concern raised by Khan’s family and supporters over his health, and repeated allegations that he was being denied proper medical care. The court was hearing several identical petitions linked to an eye ailment that surfaced earlier this year, with petitioners seeking his transfer to a private hospital because they were not satisfied with the treatment being provided at government hospitals.
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A three-member bench headed by Justice Shahid Waheed also ordered the constitution of a medical board to assess Khan’s health and treat him. “Mindful of the fundamental rights, we are issuing this order to ensure the health and safety of the prisoner,” Justice Waheed said while passing the order, a day after prison authorities told the court that Khan’s eye condition had improved significantly and his vision was “almost normal”.
The bench directed that a senior doctor and Khan’s personal physician must be present during his medical assessment and treatment. It also said the cost of treatment at the private hospital would be borne by Khan’s family.
Khan, founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, has been lodged in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail since 2023 and faces several cases. His supporters have continued to protest against his incarceration, while his relatives and party colleagues have repeatedly alleged human rights violations and accused the authorities of restricting access to medical care, family visits and legal counsel.
The court said law and order outside the hospital must not be affected during Khan’s stay and directed his party and supporters not to use the medical report for political purposes. It warned that any violation of its directions could lead to the withdrawal of the facilities being provided to him.
In a report submitted to the court, jail authorities included a summary of 39 medical check-ups carried out by different specialists between November 4, 2023 and August 10. The report said several government doctors had examined Khan and that records of these consultations had been maintained by jail authorities.
According to the report, Khan had received treatment from leading ophthalmologists in Islamabad and Rawalpindi and the affected eye had “almost regained normal vision”. He was taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad several times after his eye ailment, right central retinal vein occlusion, came to light in late January. “Consequently, significant improvement of his eye has been noticed, and his vision returned to almost normal,” the jail authorities said.
The medical report also recorded Khan’s blood pressure at 140/80 and his pulse at 54 beats per minute. It said his ECG was normal and his chest was clear. According to the report, Khan had complained of heaviness in his head and a rapid heartbeat, but had reported no chest pain or shortness of breath.
The jail authorities said the medical interventions and improvement in Khan’s vision showed that the jail administration had made all-out efforts to provide him with the best healthcare facilities, a claim dismissed by his party colleagues.
The order comes at a time when criticism of the Pakistani authorities over Khan’s treatment has intensified. Earlier this month, Amnesty International accused the authorities of systematically denying him a fair trial and subjecting him to prolonged unlawful solitary confinement.
Last week, activists linked to Khan’s party staged a protest outside the Supreme Court over his health condition and the alleged denial of meetings with him, a claim the government rejected. The protest was called off after they were assured that the matter would be heard the following week.
On Tuesday, the apex court summoned Adiala Jail officials to the next hearing on September 16 and directed them to submit Khan’s complete medical record.
Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhary said the government would implement the court’s order “in letter and spirit”. Speaking to Geo News, he said the ruling vindicated the government’s position and added that the federal government had no authority to release a prisoner convicted by a court.
“We have repeatedly maintained that decisions regarding [the former premier’s] release, health matters and other legal issues would be made by the judiciary,” Chaudhary said, adding that the government’s differences with Khan were political and not personal.
Khan’s party welcomed the Supreme Court’s order sending its founder to Shifa International Hospital. Senior leader Salman Akram Raja urged party workers and supporters not to gather outside the hospital, saying a peaceful environment should be maintained in the interest of Khan’s health and treatment. The court’s order has now set a two-day deadline for Khan’s transfer, ordered a medical board to examine him, and fixed September 16 for the next review of his case.
With PTI Inputs
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
