ISLAMABAD: A hospital-transfer dispute involving the jailed founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has returned to the Supreme Court after the court declined a request by his sister, Dr. Uzma Khan, for an early hearing of her contempt petition.
Uzma Khan filed the contempt petition Aug. 25, challenging the government’s decision to transfer the PTI founder to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences instead of Shifa International Hospital, as directed by the Supreme Court in its Aug. 18 order.
She later sought an urgent hearing, saying his health was deteriorating in jail and that the matter involved serious concerns about his health and life. The Supreme Court has scheduled the contempt petition for Sept. 16 before a three-member bench comprising Justice Shahid Waheed, Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Shakil Ahmed.
According to sources, the request for an immediate hearing was not maintainable because the matter had already been fixed for Sept. 16. They said cases are generally scheduled according to their turn under the court’s policy, with 94 contempt petitions currently pending before the Supreme Court.
The controversy stems from the Supreme Court’s Aug. 18 directive ordering authorities to transfer the PTI founder from Adiala Jail to Shifa International Hospital for medical examination and treatment.
Instead, he was taken to PIMS on the night of Aug. 20-21. Two specialists from Shifa International Hospital participated in his eye examination, while other medical assessments were conducted by relevant specialists at PIMS.
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He was subsequently transferred back to Adiala Jail.
The government has defended the decision, citing security concerns surrounding the transfer to a private hospital. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said doctors from Shifa International Hospital were present at PIMS during the medical examination.
The PTI has criticized the decision, arguing that the government failed to comply with the Supreme Court’s directive.
In her contempt petition, Uzma Khan urged the Supreme Court to enforce its Aug. 18 order and direct authorities to transfer her brother to Shifa International Hospital for medical examination and treatment.
She also requested that the matter be heard urgently, preferably during the current or following week. Her initial request for an early hearing was rejected by the Supreme Court registrar’s office, prompting her to approach the court again.
The Supreme Court has now retained Sept. 16 as the hearing date for the contempt petition.
The federal government has separately challenged the Aug. 18 hospital-transfer order.
A day after the order was issued, the government filed a review petition before the Supreme Court. The registrar’s office subsequently returned the petition with objections.
The Islamabad chief commissioner later filed another petition seeking an early hearing of the government’s review request.
The jailed PTI founder has remained in custody since August 2023 following convictions in several cases. He and his party have described the cases as politically motivated.
The Sept. 16 proceedings will take up the contempt petition concerning the hospital transfer, while the separate review proceedings concern the government’s challenge to the original directive.
