Pakistan Supreme Court orders Imran Khan transferred to hospital

Aug 17, 2026

On August 18, 2026, Pakistan's Supreme Court ordered that jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan be transferred to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad within 48 hours due to deteriorating health. The three-judge panel also directed the formation of a medical board, including Khan's personal physician, and ordered weekly family visits and phone calls with his sons. Khan has been imprisoned since August 2023 on corruption charges, which he and his party maintain are politically motivated.

Supreme Court hospital transfer order

▪A three-judge Supreme Court panel, headed by Justice Shahid Waheed and including Justices Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Ishtiaq Ibrahim, issued the August 18, 2026 hospital transfer order for Imran Khan.
▪The Supreme Court of Pakistan directed that former Prime Minister Imran Khan be transferred to Shifa International Hospital within 48 hours of the August 18, 2026 ruling.
▪The Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered that former Prime Minister Imran Khan remain hospitalized at Shifa International Hospital until at least September 16, 2026.
▪On August 18, 2026, Pakistan's Supreme Court ordered that jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan be transferred to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad.

Imran Khan imprisonment since 2023

▪Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has been imprisoned since August 2023 on multiple charges, including corruption, which Imran Khan and his party, Tehreek-e-Insaf, maintain are politically motivated.
▪Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were both sentenced to 17 years in prison late last year.
▪Imran Khan was removed from office as Prime Minister of Pakistan in April 2022 following a parliamentary no-confidence vote.

Toshakhana corruption case conviction

▪Imran Khan was initially imprisoned on August 5, 2023, after being convicted of concealing details of Toshakhana gifts.
▪Imran Khan is serving a 14-year prison sentence at Rawalpindi's Adiala jail in a £190 million corruption case, also known as the Al-Qadir Trust case.

Family visitation restrictions

▪Despite an Islamabad High Court order allowing twice-weekly meetings, former Prime Minister Imran Khan had been restricted from meeting visitors at Adiala jail for several months.
▪Pakistani authorities barred visitors from Adiala jail earlier in 2026 following intelligence reports of a potential attack on the prison where Imran Khan is held.
▪Imran Khan's sons, Sulaiman Khan and Kasim Khan, stated they had received no updates on their father for seven months prior to the August 18, 2026 ruling due to visitor restrictions.

Medical evaluation at Shifa Hospital

▪The Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered that Imran Khan's medical reports must not be shared with the media or public, nor used for political purposes.
▪The Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered the constitution of a medical board at Shifa International Hospital to examine Imran Khan, including his personal physician Dr. Faisal Sultan.
▪The Supreme Court of Pakistan ruled that Imran Khan's sister, Dr. Uzma Khan, will be associated with his medical examination, with all expenses borne by his family.

Weekly family meeting allowance

▪Imran Khan's sisters, Aleema Khanum and Dr. Uzma Khanum, were stopped by police at a security checkpoint and barred from proceeding to Adiala jail on August 18, 2026.
▪The Supreme Court of Pakistan's August 18, 2026 order directed jail authorities to ensure weekly meetings between Imran Khan and his family, as well as telephone calls with his sons.
▪Following the Supreme Court's ruling, Imran Khan's sister Noreen Niazi was allowed to meet him at Rawalpindi's Adiala jail on August 18, 2026.