Pakistan's Supreme Court ordered jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan transferred to a hospital for medical examinations on Aug. 18, 2026, after his lawyers petitioned the court over concerns about his health.
Justice Shahid Waheed said Khan, 73, would be moved within two days from prison to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad. The published account did not describe the health issues cited in the petition or identify which tests doctors would conduct.
Khan received hospital treatment for an eye problem earlier in 2026. Family members and his attorney then described severe impairment affecting his right eye, saying very little sight remained. the report did not include an independent medical diagnosis or connect that earlier treatment explicitly to the latest court order.
Salman Akram Raja, secretary general of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, welcomed the decision outside court. He also urged supporters to honor an agreement with the court that they would avoid crowds or disorder around the transfer. That request reflected the political sensitivity surrounding Khan's movements and medical care.
The former international cricket captain has been imprisoned since 2023 on corruption charges. Khan and his wife and spiritual adviser, Bushra Bibi, were each sentenced in late 2025 to 17 years in prison. Khan and PTI say the multiple corruption and other cases against him are politically motivated. The published report did not include the courts' reasoning in those cases or the government's response to that allegation.
Khan served as prime minister from 2018 until 2022, when Parliament removed him in a no-confidence vote during a political crisis involving tensions between his government and Pakistan's powerful military establishment. His arrest in May 2023 prompted protests across the country. Some demonstrations became violent, and authorities arrested hundreds of people.
He remains one of Pakistan's most influential political figures. Before entering politics, Khan was a prominent all-round cricketer and captained Pakistan to victory in the 1992 World Cup. That public profile helped him attract millions of voters and challenge the dynastic parties that had dominated national politics for decades.
In government, Khan promoted the idea of a national welfare state inspired by what he described as the Islamic golden age. PTI nevertheless struggled to stabilize public finances. High inflation, heavy debt and a weak rupee impeded its economic program, according to the report.
The Supreme Court's order addressed immediate access to examination rather than Khan's convictions or the political dispute around them. No medical findings were available on the event date, and the transfer did not alter his status as a prisoner serving a criminal sentence.
