Pakistan may consider private hospital treatment for imprisoned ex-PM Khan, minister says

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A senior Pakistani Cabinet minister said Thursday the government could consider allowing imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan to receive treatment at a private hospital or abroad if adequate care is unavailable at a government facility, while pledging to comply with a Supreme Court order on Khan’s treatment.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said the government had approached the Supreme Court to seek clarification on whether the medical relief granted to Khan applied only to the former premier or could be extended to other prisoners.

Chaudhry’s comments came two days after a three-judge Supreme Court panel ordered authorities to take Khan to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad for a medical examination, following months of concerns from his family and personal physicians about his health and access to medical care. The court ordered that he be examined by a medical board that includes specialists and one of his personal physicians, Faisal Sultan.

Chaudhry wrote on X that the government would fully comply with the Supreme Court’s ruling and that its request for clarification was not intended to defy or delay implementation of the decision.

On Thursday, he said all arrangements were in place to transfer Khan from prison to the hospital.

After midnight, local media reported that Khan — who has not been seen publicly since his imprisonment in 2023 in a graft case — was being taken from prison to the hospital under tight security.

The government maintains that under existing rules, prisoners are provided medical treatment in prison and can be transferred to government hospitals when necessary.

Concerns about Khan’s health intensified in late January after his family said he had lost about 85% of the vision in his right eye, a claim the government disputed. Authorities later said Khan had regained about 70% of his vision in the eye and that his condition was improving.

The former cricket star turned politician was ousted in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in April 2022 and has been imprisoned since 2023 after being convicted in multiple cases.