Supreme Court Orders Imran Khan’s Shift from Adiala Jail to Hospital
Big news for PTI supporters and the nation today. The Supreme Court of Pakistan has ordered that PTI Founder Imran Khan be shifted from Adiala Jail to a hospital in Islamabad. The order came on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, and PTI confirmed the news soon after.
What the Court Ordered
A three-member bench heard the case. The bench had Justice Shahid Wahid, Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan, and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim. They ordered:
- Imran Khan must be shifted to Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad, within 48 hours.
- He will stay in hospital until doctors are satisfied with his health.
- He is to remain there until the next hearing of his appeal, which is fixed for September 16.
- A medical board will be formed. His personal physician and his sister, Uzma Khan, will be part of this board.
- Authorities must also allow him to meet his family every week — something PTI and the family have been demanding for a long time.
This order came a day after the Adiala Jail superintendent submitted a report on Khan’s health condition to the apex court.
Why This Order Came Now
Khan, 73, has been behind bars since August 5, 2023, mostly kept at Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi. PTI has always maintained that the cases against him are politically motivated, filed after his government was removed in 2022.
Over the last year, his sons and lawyers repeatedly raised alarm over his deteriorating health, especially significant vision loss in his right eye. PTI had already approached the courts more than once this year — in December and again in February — seeking medical tests and specialist treatment for him, but access remained limited.
Former President Dr. Arif Alvi also spoke up on X (Twitter) before the order. He said he had personally gone through Khan’s medical reports with several specialist doctors and found them alarming — pointing to high anxiety and stress, palpitations, high blood pressure, and likely sleeplessness. Alvi said Khan needed to be moved to a hospital under an independent panel of doctors, since “neither his family nor the people of Pakistan trust government-appointed doctors alone.”
PTI’s Reaction
PTI spokesperson Zulfikar Bukhari welcomed the decision but said it should have come much sooner. He said Khan’s eyesight and overall health may not have suffered this much if the order had been passed earlier. He added that Khan should remain in hospital until every doctor on the board is satisfied with his recovery.
Background: A Long Fight Over Health and Jail Conditions
This is part of a longer legal struggle:
- September 2023: IHC ordered Khan shifted from Attock Jail to the high-security Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.
- December 2025: Khan filed a plea in IHC seeking permission for medical tests and monthly check-ups at Shaukat Khanum Hospital.
- February 2026: The Supreme Court ordered a medical board to examine his eyes after reports of vision loss, and also allowed him to speak to his children.
- August 2026: The Supreme Court has now ordered his complete shift to hospital, a much bigger relief for PTI.
What Happens Next
Khan is expected to be moved to Shifa International Hospital within the next two days, where he will remain under medical supervision until his next Supreme Court hearing on September 16. For now, the bigger question — how this affects his ongoing appeals and PTI’s broader political struggle — remains to be seen.
Sources
- Bloomberg – Pakistan Top Court Orders Ex-PM Imran Khan Be Moved to Hospital — https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-18/pakistan-top-court-orders-ex-pm-imran-khan-be-moved-to-hospital
- The Tribune (India) – Pakistan top court orders ex-PM Imran Khan be moved to hospital from jail, local media says — https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/pakistan/pakistan-top-court-orders-ex-pm-imran-khan-be-moved-to-hospital-from-jail-local-media-says/
- Daily Sabah – Top Pakistan court orders jailed ex-PM Khan’s transfer to hospital — https://www.dailysabah.com/world/asia-pacific/top-pakistan-court-orders-jailed-ex-pm-khans-transfer-to-hospital
- The Tribune (India) – Pak Supreme Court orders ex-PM Imran Khan to be moved to hospital from jail amid health concerns — https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/imran-khan-health/pak-supreme-court-orders-ex-pm-imran-khan-to-be-moved-to-hospital-from-jail-amid-health-concerns
- News on Air – PTI appeals to Supreme Court for medical care of Imran Khan — https://www.newsonair.gov.in/pti-appeals-to-supreme-court-for-medical-care-of-imran-khan
- News on Air – Pak SC orders medical examination of jailed former PM Imran Khan — https://www.newsonair.gov.in/pak-sc-orders-medical-examination-of-jailed-former-pm-imran-khan
