‘In contempt for gathering people’: Pak blames ex PM Imran Khan’s party for hospital transfer

NEW DELHI: The Pakistan government on Saturday blamed jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party for his transfer to a state-run hospital instead of the private facility ordered by the Supreme Court for his medical checkup.Information minister Attaullah Tarar said the government was forced to take 73-year-old Khan to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) after a large number of PTI workers gathered outside Shifa International Hospital.The development came after Khan’s sister, Uzma Khan, approached the Supreme Court alleging that the government and senior officials had violated its order to shift the former prime minister to the private hospital.The Supreme Court had on August 18 directed authorities to transfer Khan from Adiala jail to Shifa Hospital within two days and keep him there until the next hearing on September 16. Instead, Khan was taken to PIMS and later returned to jail after doctors declared him fit.Govt says court order was followedTarar alleged that PTI workers gathered along the route to Shifa Hospital, removed barriers and created social media content, leaving authorities with no option but to shift Khan elsewhere.“Contempt has definitely happened,” Tarar said, accusing Khan’s sister and PTI of violating the court’s directions by turning the medical checkup into a political issue.The minister maintained that the government had implemented the Supreme Court’s order “in letter and spirit”. He said the medical examination was conducted transparently, Khan’s sister was present and doctors from Shifa Hospital were involved in the process.The Supreme Court’s order followed months of concerns raised by Khan’s family and supporters over his health, particularly an eye condition diagnosed earlier this year. Khan was taken to PIMS several times after being diagnosed with right central retinal vein occlusion in late January.A report submitted by jail authorities to the Supreme Court said his eye condition had improved significantly and that his vision was “almost normal”.Khan has been lodged in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail since 2023 in connection with several cases.Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.