Pakistan's Supreme Court will hear a contempt petition against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on September 16 over the government's failure to transfer jailed former premier Imran Khan to a private hospital as ordered, adding a new legal challenge for the government.
When will the Supreme Court hear the Imran Khan contempt petition?
The Supreme Court will hear the contempt petition on September 16, alongside the main case over Khan's hospital transfer, which was already fixed for that date.
The court declined Dr Uzma Khan's request for an earlier hearing, citing 95 pending contempt cases and its existing scheduling policy.
What is the Imran Khan contempt petition about?
The petition, filed by Khan's sister Dr Uzma Khan, concerns the alleged non-implementation of the Supreme Court's August 18 order directing authorities to move the PTI founder to Shifa International Hospital for examination and treatment. A three-member bench of the court's Bench No. 5, headed by Justice Shahid Waheed, will hear the matter, with Justice Naeem Afghan and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim as the other members.
The hearing will determine whether Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other officials committed contempt by failing to implement the court's directive.
Why did PTI resubmit the contempt petition?
The development came after PTI resubmitted the contempt petition to the Supreme Court registrar earlier on Tuesday, after it was returned with objections. PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said the registrar had pointed out, among other issues, that a list of charges against the respondents had not been dispatched, and that the party would resubmit the petition after addressing the objections.
Uzma Khan subsequently filed a separate application seeking an early hearing.
Why was Imran Khan not taken to Shifa International Hospital?
The dispute stems from the Supreme Court's August 18 order directing the government to shift Khan from Adiala Jail to Shifa International Hospital within 48 hours for examination and treatment by a multidisciplinary medical board. The government instead took Khan to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), a public-sector hospital, for a medical check-up before returning him to prison.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said at the time that security concerns caused by PTI workers on the route to and outside the hospital had prompted the change. Uzma Khan, who was present during the check-up, subsequently filed the contempt petition.
Who is named in the contempt petition?
Uzma Khan named Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Secretary Ahmed Raza Sarwar, Islamabad Chief Commissioner (retired) Lieutenant Sohail Ashraf, Punjab Inspector General of Prisons Mian Salik Jalal, Adiala Jail Superintendent Sajid Baig, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar as respondents. She accused them of wilfully and deliberately violating the Supreme Court's order and asked the court to initiate contempt proceedings.
She also sought the appointment of a court officer or local commission to ensure Khan was transferred to the private hospital in line with the court's directive. The August 18 order had called for Khan to be examined and treated by a multidisciplinary medical board at Shifa International Hospital, and its directions also covered other aspects of his detention and access to family members.
Separately, Islamabad Chief Commissioner Sohail Ashraf has approached the Supreme Court seeking an early hearing of his review petition challenging the legality of the August 18 order. The September 16 hearing will therefore bring both the main dispute over Khan's hospital transfer and the contempt proceedings before the court, potentially putting the government's handling of its earlier directive under renewed judicial scrutiny.
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