Pakistan court returns Imran Khan’s hospital transfer petition over objections

Pakistan’s Supreme Court has returned a petition filed by incarcerated former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan seeking his transfer to a hospital, citing procedural objections.

The petition was represented by senior lawyers Sardar Latif Khosa and Naeem Panjutha, acting on behalf of Khan. They appeared before Chief Justice Yahya Afridi to request that the plea be scheduled for hearing.

The chief justice informed them that the petition had already been returned the previous day with objections and would remain pending until those issues were addressed, adding that no application was currently before the court to initiate proceedings.

Khosa argued that the request was urgent and highlighted that the court had previously ordered medical treatment for Khan. The chief justice clarified that no such order had been issued and that the government had only provided assurances regarding his medical care. He advised the lawyers to review the court’s earlier ruling, noting that the health matter was not presently pending before the Supreme Court.

The lawyers emphasized that the hospital transfer request was made on humanitarian grounds. The court noted that a medical check-up had already been conducted for Khan on humanitarian considerations.

Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan reminded the counsel that Supreme Court procedures required strict adherence and advised them to first approach the Registrar’s Office. The Chief Justice said that if a copy of the objections was not provided, the matter could be brought back before the court.

Details from the Registrar’s Office indicated two formal objections against the petition: the petition should have been filed in the relevant High Court for grievance redressal, and it was not submitted through an Advocate-on-Record, as mandated under Supreme Court rules. Following these objections, the Registrar formally returned Khan’s petition seeking hospital transfer.

Former PM Khan was diagnosed in late January with right central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO), following reports of partial vision loss in his right eye. A medical team found his unaided vision at 6/24 in the right eye and 6/9 in the left, improving with glasses to 6/9 and 6/6, respectively.

He underwent his first procedure on January 24, confirmed by the government five days later, and had a follow-up at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) on February 24.

Khan’s family, party, and opposition leaders have criticized the handling of his medical care, citing a lack of prior notification and restricted access for his personal doctors. The government has denied any wrongdoing.