Imran hospital move: security tightened at Shifa
Security has been intensified around Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad as the deadline approaches for the government to comply with a Supreme Court directive regarding the transfer of PTI founder Imran Khan for medical treatment.
A significant number of police personnel and senior officers were deployed outside the hospital on Thursday. Officials inspected security arrangements and cleared roads around the facility of parked vehicles.
The heightened security comes ahead of the midnight deadline set under the Supreme Court’s order issued on Tuesday. The court directed authorities to shift Imran Khan to Shifa International Hospital for medical treatment and also ordered arrangements for weekly meetings between him and his family.
The federal government has challenged aspects of the order through a review petition, describing the decision as discriminatory and raising legal concerns over its wider implications.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said the government still had time until midnight to implement the order. He said the responsibility for making arrangements rested with the Islamabad administration and that officials were working on the matter.
Speaking in the Senate, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said the government would follow the Supreme Court’s decision.
He said the government had no intention of preventing Imran Khan from receiving necessary medical treatment.
According to the minister, existing rules generally provide for convicted prisoners to receive medical care through government hospitals. However, he said a legal question concerning the scope of such arrangements was currently before the Supreme Court.
Fazal said that if the required treatment was not available at a government hospital, the authorities would have to arrange treatment at Shifa International Hospital or another facility with better medical capabilities.
He stressed that the government would comply with the court’s final determination regarding the matter.
The minister also addressed concerns about the health of PTI leader Dr Yasmin Rashid. He said the government was concerned about her condition and would again contact the Punjab government and prison authorities to obtain an updated assessment.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said the government’s review petition was expected to be dealt with by the Supreme Court.
Sanaullah said the government had raised technical and legal objections to parts of the court’s order. He argued that the decision could create difficulties for the broader judicial system if similar applications were filed by other prisoners seeking treatment at private hospitals.
He maintained that the government would respect whatever decision the Supreme Court reached on its review petition.
According to sources, the Supreme Court’s registrar’s office had returned the review petition after raising an objection concerning the completion of required paper books. The government was expected to address the objections and resubmit the petition, with possible amendments to its contents.
The development has triggered a fresh dispute between the government and PTI over implementation of the court order.
Imran Khan’s lawyer, Khalid Yousaf Chaudhry, announced that he would approach the Supreme Court with a contempt petition if the government failed to transfer his client to the hospital.
The lawyer accused the government of delaying implementation of the court’s directive and said the legal team was preparing the contempt proceedings.
He also visited Adiala Jail to obtain Imran Khan’s signatures on the required documents, including the contempt petition and power of attorney.
Earlier, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja claimed that the government had withdrawn its review petition after objections were raised by the Supreme Court’s filing branch.
Raja demanded immediate implementation of the August 18 order and argued that there was no legal justification for further delaying Imran Khan’s transfer.
The government, however, maintained that the legal process concerning the review petition was still underway and that it would act according to the law and the final position of the Supreme Court.
Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khanum also reached Adiala Jail amid the ongoing developments.
