Pakistan | By Web Desk
ISLAMABAD — Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Saturday that the federal government had fully complied with the Supreme Court’s directives concerning jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s medical treatment, while accusing Khan’s family and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf of themselves breaching the court’s restrictions by publicly discussing his health. His remarks came hours after Khan’s sister, Dr Uzma Khan, filed a contempt petition alleging that authorities had violated the Supreme Court’s August 18 order by taking the PTI founder to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) instead of the specifically designated Shifa International Hospital.
Tarar argued that the Supreme Court had clearly directed that Khan’s medical condition should not be turned into a political issue or used for public commentary. He said the government had refrained from politicising Khan’s health after the ruling and maintained that treatment had never been denied. According to the minister, Khan underwent medical examination by specialists and was subsequently returned to Adiala Jail after doctors declared him medically fit.
The government’s position directly challenges PTI’s version of events. Khan was taken overnight to the state-run PIMS rather than Shifa International Hospital, which had been named in the Supreme Court order. Officials have cited security concerns for the change, while PTI argues that the executive could not substitute another hospital without first obtaining relief or modification from the court. Reuters reported that PTI’s contempt petition centres on the failure to carry out the private-hospital transfer and the medical arrangements ordered by the court.
Tarar turned the contempt accusation back on Khan’s family, pointing to statements made after the examination. Dr Uzma and Khan’s personal physician Dr Faisal Sultan spoke publicly following the hospital visit, while PTI leaders criticised the government’s handling of the episode. The Supreme Court order had directed that medical reports or information concerning Khan’s health should not be used for political purposes, an instruction the government now says PTI and the family breached.
PTI, however, maintains that its public statements concern alleged non-compliance with the judicial order rather than an attempt to politically exploit Khan’s medical condition. Dr Uzma’s contempt petition asks the Supreme Court to issue show-cause notices and summon officials allegedly responsible for disregarding its directions. Eight members of the Pakistan Bar Council have separately criticised what they described as the executive’s “wilful disregard” of the court order, adding another legal voice to the dispute.
The Changer Angle: Both Sides Now Claim the Other Defied the Same Supreme Court Order
The dispute has reached an unusual stage: the government and PTI are both relying on different parts of the same Supreme Court order to accuse the other side of contempt. PTI focuses on the operative medical directions — particularly the specified transfer to Shifa International Hospital — while the government emphasises the court’s restrictions against politicising Khan’s health.
Those are legally separate questions. Whether Khan and his family violated restrictions on public discussion does not automatically determine whether the government complied with the hospital-transfer directions. Equally, a finding that authorities departed from the Shifa arrangement would not by itself settle whether subsequent political statements breached other parts of the order. Ultimately, the Supreme Court — not either political side — will determine what its directions required and whether contempt occurred.
That makes the next hearing particularly important. What began as a dispute over the medical treatment of one prisoner has developed into a confrontation over judicial authority, executive discretion and the limits placed on political communication surrounding a court-supervised medical case.