ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan's government may permit imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan to seek medical treatment at a private hospital or abroad if government facilities are insufficient, according to a senior Cabinet minister. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said Thursday that the government would comply with a Supreme Court order mandating Khan receive medical attention.
Chaudhry stated that the government had approached the Supreme Court to clarify whether the medical relief granted to Khan could be extended to other prisoners. He also wrote on the social media platform X that the government would fully implement the court's ruling and that its request for clarification was not intended to challenge or delay the decision.
The government's position, as stated by Chaudhry, is that existing regulations provide medical treatment for prisoners within jail facilities and allow for transfers to government hospitals when necessary. He indicated that the consideration for private or overseas treatment would arise only if adequate care could not be provided by the state.
Security was heightened at an Islamabad hospital on Wednesday amid expectations that Khan might be transferred there. Journalists also gathered at the facility, anticipating potential sightings of the former prime minister, who has not been publicly visible since his incarceration in 2023 on a corruption charge.
Earlier this week, authorities petitioned the Supreme Court to review or withdraw an order directing Khan to undergo a medical examination at a private hospital of his choosing. The court dismissed the application on procedural grounds, instructing authorities to complete the necessary documentation. The order requires Khan to be taken to the hospital by Thursday midnight for an examination by a medical board that includes his personal doctor.
Concerns regarding Khan's health escalated in late January when his family reported that he had lost approximately 85% of the vision in his right eye. The government disputed this claim, later stating that Khan had regained about 70% of his vision in that eye and that his condition was improving.
Khan, a former cricket star who transitioned to politics, was removed from office through a no-confidence vote in April 2022. He has been in detention since 2023 following convictions in several cases.