• Ministers claim decision to divert to public hospital taken by security agencies; Tarar blames ‘security situation’ created by PTI workers outside Shifa hospital
• Dr Uzma meets her brother at Pims, says she was kept in the dark about ‘diversion’
• PTI founder’s personal physician made to wait for hours at Shifa
• Opposition alliance vows to approach SC over ‘contempt of court’, says preparations for Sept 27 protest to be ‘intensified’
ISLAMABAD: While all eyes were on Shifa International Hospital, the government quietly moved incarcerated former PM Imran Khan to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) for a medical check-up in the early hours of Friday, following which he was taken back to Adiala jail.
The previous night, elaborate arrangements were put in place in and around Shifa hospital, and all signs pointed to the PTI founder being brought there, in compliance with Supreme Court order.
But as a new day dawned, it became clear that Mr Khan had been taken to Pims for a check-up — ostensibly due to security concerns — and then subsequently transported back to prison.
This obviously did not sit well with the PTI founder’s party and family, who announced their intention to approach the Supreme Court over the “contempt of court committed by the government”.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar blamed “the security situation created by PTI workers on the way to and outside Al Shifa Hospital” for the diversion.
In a post on X, he said, “In the light of the Supreme Court’s order, the prisoner was taken to the hospital under appropriate security arrangements during the night between August 20 and 21.”
“A team of qualified doctors, including an ophthalmologist, a cardiologist, and a physician, conducted a detailed examination of him and declared him medically fit,” he said, adding that Imran’s sister Dr Uzma Khan was also present during the examination.
Subsequently, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry explained that the decision to take Mr Khan to Pims was made by security agencies and was not a “political” move.
Speaking to Geo News on Friday evening, he said that all security arrangements had been made at Shifa International, but security clearance was not granted.
“When [Imran] was en route, our security institutions assessed the situation, and the police and law enforcement agencies decided that they could not control the law and order situation,” Mr Chaudhry said.
Pressed on why it was safe to take Mr Khan to Pims but not to Shifa, the minister replied that the decision lay with the security agencies.
“Whenever a high-profile person [is being moved], there are alternative arrangements in place. All of our police and admin contingents were at Shifa, where the medical team was present to examine him.”
“If you look at the SC decision as a whole, all of the points except for changing the hospital at the last minute were all followed in letter and spirit,” the minister emphasised.
Sister’s account
Addressing a press conference alongside her sisters and the PTI leadership, Dr Uzma Khan — who accompanied Mr Khan during his examination at Pims — recounted the chain of events.
Dr Uzma said she and her brother’s personal physician Dr Faisal Sultan, reached Adiala jail around 8:30pm. She claimed that the two of them were put in separate vehicles, and she was driven to Pims, while he was taken to Shifa — something neither of them knew at the time.
When they arrived at a building, she inquired if they had reached Shifa hospital, but were told that they were at Pims for a medical check-up of her brother. She recalled that there was total darkness and people were lighting the way with mobile phone torches, adding that she was then taken to see her brother.
During his eye-exam, she said, “They asked, ‘Khan sahib, which eye drops do you use?’”
“I said if the drops they had prescribed were not mentioned in their notes. None of them knew,” Dr Uzma said.
After the doctors administered an injection, Mr Khan asked her what was going on. “I told him that you will be shifted to Shifa,” she recalled.
She said even as they were leaving Pims, she reminded the people accompanying her several times that they were to go to Shifa hospital, but received no reply.
“Even Imran was not aware [where we were going] when I told him that we will go to Shifa... We were so excited that the orders of the Supreme Court were going to be implemented, but even that did not happen,” she said.
Eventually, after Fajr prayers, they arrived back at Adiala, she said, adding that this was when she discovered that Dr Faisal had been taken to Shifa hospital.
Adding to her account, Mr Khan’s physician said that he was made to wait at Shifa for around three hours, with the assurance that the PTI founder would reach soon. Then, he was told that Mr Khan would not be coming, and brought him back to Adiala.
Approaching SC
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi flayed the government’s actions, saying that they had thrown an order by three Supreme Court judges “in the dustbin”.
“If Imran Khan is facing such treatment, imagine what conditions others are facing.
They have stooped so low that they don’t even give any importance to judges,” he lamented. Vowing to expedite the movement for Mr Khan’s release, he also rejected the claim that PTI workers and supporters gathered around Shifa hospital created any kind of security issue, saying: “There was no one, apart from the media”.
Meanwhile, a parliamentary party meeting of the opposition alliance Tehreek-i-Tahafuz Ayin-i-Pakistan (TTAP) resolved to approach the Supreme Court today (Saturday) over the contempt of court committed by the government by not bringing Mr Khan to Shifa hospital for a checkup, as ordered.
Regarding the September 27 long march, the meeting announced its decision to uphold the PTI’s plan for a full-scale protest on the announced date, it stated.
“Detailed consultations were held regarding the September 27 protest and long march, with a decision to invite all opposition parties to participate.”
According to the statement, the meeting agreed to intensify the public contact campaign across the country, including Punjab, and make political activities more organised and effective.
Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2026
