PIMS medical team examines Imran Khan at Adiala jail amid health concerns

RAWALPINDI: A medical team from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), including an eye specialist, has completed a detailed medical examination of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former prime minister Imran Khan at Adiala jail, sources said on Sunday.

The team led by PIMS doctor Arif Khan also included an ophthalmologist, other specialist doctors and paramedical staff, according to the sources.

Imran Khan’s blood pressure, cholesterol and eyesight were examined during the check-up, while medical staff at the Adiala jail hospital also assisted the visiting team.

The medical team left the jail after completing the examination, the sources said.

This was not the first time that a team of specialist doctors from PIMS had examined the former prime minister at Adiala jail.

The latest medical examination comes amid continued concern from Imran Khan’s family and PTI over his health and follows Supreme Court proceedings concerning his medical treatment and access to family members.

FCC summons Imran Khan hospital transfer record

The legal dispute over Imran Khan’s hospital transfer intensified on September 15 when the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) sought records of the former prime minister’s case from the Supreme Court, raising questions over which of the two superior courts had jurisdiction over the matter.

A three-member FCC bench headed by Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan ordered its registrar to obtain the record of Khan’s hospital-transfer case from the Supreme Court, as well as records of similar cases pending before the Supreme Court and high courts.

The order came while the FCC was hearing petitions by three prisoners at Adiala Jail seeking permission to receive treatment at private hospitals after the Islamabad High Court rejected their pleas.

The FCC said the cases and records linked to Khan’s hospital-transfer matter would be heard by the constitutional court and observed that points raised by Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan were worthy of consideration.

Supreme Court seeks AGP’s assistance

The Supreme Court on September 16 sought the attorney general’s assistance on whether the FCC could exercise jurisdiction over a matter concerning the apex court’s August 18 order.

A three-member Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Shahid Waheed summoned Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan to assist on the jurisdictional question.

Awan told the court that the same matter could not be under the jurisdiction of two superior courts simultaneously, while Justice Shahid said the bench would examine whether the FCC’s order was binding on the Supreme Court.

The issue arose during proceedings on a contempt petition against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other officials over the alleged failure to implement the August 18 direction concerning Khan’s transfer.

The attorney general said Article 175-E(5) of the Constitution empowered the FCC to call for the record of a case pending before any court where it considered that the matter involved a substantial question of law concerning the interpretation of the Constitution.

He argued that the provision needed to be interpreted in the context of the present dispute.

The Supreme Court bench also raised questions about the constitutional powers of the two courts, including provisions concerning fundamental rights and the interpretation of the Quran and Sunnah.

Justice Shahid said the court wanted to understand the constitutional framework governing the respective jurisdictions of the Supreme Court and FCC, while emphasising the importance of mutual respect between the two judicial forums.

The attorney general described the situation as unprecedented and said the constitutional jurisdictions of the two courts had been defined separately.

“There is no ambiguity; the Supreme Court’s August 18 order remains in force,” Awan told the court.

Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan said both the Supreme Court and FCC were superior judicial forums and there was no conflict between the two institutions, adding that each had its own jurisdiction.

Implementation of transfer order

The Supreme Court also questioned the government’s implementation of its August 18 order, noting that officials from Adiala Jail who had been summoned by the court did not appear.

The attorney general acknowledged that the officials should have appeared and sought an opportunity for them to explain their absence. Justice Shahid even raised the possibility of issuing warrants for the jail superintendent.

The bench, however, set aside the question of Khan’s transfer between a private and government hospital for the time being and turned its attention to the implementation of other directions contained in the August 18 order.

Justice Shahid asked the attorney general to explain the arrangements for meetings between Khan and his family and telephone conversations with his children.

Supreme Court ordered hospital transfer

On August 18, the Supreme Court directed the government to shift Imran Khan to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad within two days for medical examination and treatment by a multidisciplinary medical board.

A three-member 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 his personal physicians and meetings with family members.

The court said the medical examination and information placed before it indicated that Khan’s health had deteriorated and ordered a comprehensive assessment and treatment.

The proposed medical board was to include specialists, including an eye specialist, cardiologist and general medicine specialist, as well as Khan’s personal physician Dr Faisal Sultan.

The court also directed authorities to provide Khan’s complete medical record and ordered that his family be allowed to meet him once a week. He was also to be permitted to speak to his sons by telephone twice a week.

The Supreme Court further directed the government to ensure adequate security during his hospital stay and restricted Khan’s family, lawyers and party representatives from publicly disclosing his medical reports or using his health information for political purposes

Khan taken to PIMS instead of Shifa

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

According to the government account, doctors from Shifa International Hospital were also present at PIMS during the examination. The medical team included an ophthalmologist, cardiologist and 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. The decision to use PIMS rather than Shifa was attributed by the government to security concerns arising from the presence of PTI supporters outside and on the route to Shifa Hospital