SC Registrar Admits Contempt Plea Over Imran Khan’s Hospital Transfer After PTI Addresses Objections

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court registrar’s office on Tuesday admitted a contempt of court petition filed by Dr Uzma Khan, sister of jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, over his hospital transfer.

Earlier, the registrar’s office had returned the petition after raising an objection, saying it did not include a list of allegations against the respondents.

The PTI later refiled the petition after addressing the objection. The case was then registered under case number 8/2026.

Dr Uzma also requested an early hearing of the contempt petition, citing concerns over Imran Khan’s health.

In her plea, she said the request for an early hearing was linked to the former premier’s health and life.

Dr Uzma alleged that the federal government had not followed the Supreme Court’s order regarding her brother’s transfer to Shifa International Hospital.

She said authorities could have approached the relevant court if they needed clarification about the order.

She maintained that the Supreme Court’s decision could not be ignored and requested that the contempt petition be heard during the current week.

The petition was originally filed on August 22. It seeks contempt proceedings against those allegedly responsible, along with show-cause notices and directions for their personal appearance before the court.

PTI Secretary-General Salman Akram Raja and Uzair Bhandari filed the petition on behalf of Uzma.

Pims visit

In its August 18 order, the Supreme Court had directed authorities to transfer Imran Khan, who is incarcerated at Adiala Jail, to Shifa International Hospital for a medical examination.

However, Khan was instead taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), where doctors from Shifa International Hospital were also present, according to Information Minister Attaullah Tarar.

Imran Khan has remained in prison since August 2023 after facing convictions that he and his party describe as politically motivated. He has also faced multiple legal cases since his ouster in April 2022 following a no-confidence vote.

A day after the August 18 order, the federal government filed a review petition in the Supreme Court. The registrar’s office also returned that petition after raising objections.

The Islamabad chief commissioner later filed another petition seeking an early hearing of the review petition.

The PTI criticised the government over Khan’s transfer to Pims instead of Shifa International Hospital, while the government defended the decision on security grounds.

Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said the decision to take Khan to Pims was made by the administration and had nothing to do with the Punjab government.

He said Khan’s treatment and security were both extremely important and the government knew that taking him to Pims instead of Shifa would create controversy.

“Imran’s security was the priority, which is why the decision was made,” he said.