Imran Khan taken to PIMS for medical examination, returned to Adiala jail

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former prime minister Imran Khan was taken from Adiala jail to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) late at night for a detailed medical examination before being returned to prison under tight security, according to jail sources.

The medical examination included checks of his blood pressure, eyesight and cholesterol levels, while doctors also conducted several necessary medical tests and reviewed the medication prescribed to him, the sources said.

Following the examination, the medical team recommended additional medicines for the former prime minister, they added.

Khan was transported from Adiala jail to PIMS and brought back after the check-up in a heavily guarded convoy, with security arrangements maintained throughout the movement, according to the sources.

The late-night hospital visit comes amid continued concerns about the health of the incarcerated PTI founder, with his medical treatment and access to specialist doctors remaining subjects of legal proceedings and political debate.

The authorities have not issued an official statement detailing the latest examination, its findings or the additional medication recommended by doctors.

Blood pressure, eyesight and cholesterol examined

According to jail sources, doctors carried out a comprehensive assessment of Khan’s health during his visit to PIMS.

His blood pressure was checked in detail, while specialists also examined his eyesight and cholesterol levels. The medical team conducted several tests considered necessary for assessing his condition.

Doctors also reviewed the medicines Khan had previously been prescribed and recommended additional medication following the examination, the sources said.

The examination was conducted at PIMS before Khan was taken back to Adiala jail under security arrangements.

The latest visit follows previous medical assessments by specialist teams from PIMS, including an examination conducted at Adiala jail in September.

On September 20, a medical team from PIMS, led by Dr Arif Khan and including an ophthalmologist, other specialist doctors and paramedical staff, examined the former prime minister at the prison.

During that assessment, doctors checked his blood pressure, cholesterol and eyesight. Medical staff at the Adiala jail hospital also assisted the visiting team.

The September examination was conducted inside the prison, whereas the latest assessment involved Khan being transported to PIMS for medical checks.

Supreme Court’s hospital transfer order

Khan’s medical treatment has been the subject of proceedings before the Supreme Court, which on August 18 directed the government to transfer him to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad for a comprehensive medical examination and treatment.

A three-member Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Shahid Waheed, comprising Justices Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Ishtiaq Ibrahim, issued the directions while hearing petitions concerning Khan’s medical treatment, access to personal physicians and meetings with family members.

The court said the medical examination and information presented before it indicated that Khan’s health had deteriorated, warranting a comprehensive assessment by a multidisciplinary medical board.

The proposed board was to include an eye specialist, a cardiologist and a general medicine specialist, alongside Khan’s personal physician, Dr Faisal Sultan.

The Supreme Court also directed authorities to provide Khan with his complete medical record and ensure that his family could meet him once a week.

It further ordered that he be allowed to speak to his sons over the telephone twice a week.

The court directed the government to ensure adequate security during his hospital stay and instructed Khan’s family, lawyers and party representatives not to publicly disclose his medical reports or use his health information for political purposes.

Khan taken to PIMS instead of Shifa International

Following the Supreme Court’s August 18 order, Khan was taken to PIMS during the night of August 20 and 21 for a detailed medical examination.

According to the government’s account at the time, doctors from Shifa International Hospital were also present at PIMS during the assessment. The medical team included an ophthalmologist, a cardiologist and a physician.

After the examination and necessary tests, Khan was returned to Adiala jail at around 5am on August 21.

The government said he had been found medically fit following the assessment.

The decision to conduct the examination at PIMS rather than Shifa International was attributed by the government to security concerns, including the presence of PTI supporters outside the private hospital and along the route leading to it.

Legal proceedings over medical treatment

The implementation of the Supreme Court’s directions subsequently became part of a wider legal dispute involving the jurisdiction of the country’s superior courts.

On September 15, the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) sought records of Khan’s hospital-transfer case from the Supreme Court while hearing petitions filed by three prisoners at Adiala jail who had sought permission to receive treatment at private hospitals.

A three-member FCC bench headed by Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan directed its registrar to obtain the relevant record, including proceedings concerning Khan’s transfer and similar cases pending before the Supreme Court and high courts.

The development raised questions about the jurisdiction of the two superior courts over the matter.

A day later, on September 16, the Supreme Court sought assistance from Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan on whether the FCC could exercise jurisdiction over a matter involving the apex court’s August 18 directions.

During the proceedings, Awan maintained that the Supreme Court’s August 18 order remained in force, while explaining the constitutional provisions governing the FCC’s authority to call for records from other courts.

The Supreme Court was also examining the implementation of its directions concerning Khan’s medical treatment and access to his family.

The latest medical examination at PIMS comes against this backdrop of continuing judicial scrutiny and concerns raised by Khan’s family and PTI over his health and treatment in custody.

However, the findings of the latest examination, the nature of the additional medicines prescribed and whether further medical treatment has been recommended have not been officially disclosed.