Imran Khan returns to prison after doctors declare him medically fit

Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan was taken back to prison early Friday after doctors examined him at a hospital in Islamabad and declared him medically fit.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Khan was examined by a team of qualified doctors, including an eye specialist, a heart specialist and a physician.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered that Khan be taken to hospital within 48 hours for a medical examination after his lawyers raised concerns about his health.

The order was one of the biggest legal reliefs Khan has received since he was jailed in 2023 on corruption charges. Khan has rejected the charges as politically motivated.

The court also ordered that Khan be allowed to meet his family, whom he had been unable to see for months. His sister, Azma Khan, visited him in prison on Tuesday night and remained present throughout his medical examination, Tarar said.

The area around Shifa International Hospital was heavily guarded, with police barriers, officers and vehicles deployed around the facility. The BBC reported seeing vehicles being removed from nearby streets as police and armoured vehicles patrolled the area.

The Supreme Court also directed Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party not to hold news conferences outside the hospital, warning against politicising his hospital stay.

Khan's lawyers have said he suffers from several health problems, including poor eyesight, and has not received proper specialist treatment in prison.

In February, one of his lawyers claimed that Khan had only 15% vision remaining in his right eye because prison authorities had failed to provide timely treatment. The government rejected the allegation.

In its Tuesday order, the Supreme Court said it had a constitutional and legal duty to protect the prisoner's "life, health, dignity and security". The judges also directed that an eye specialist be involved in Khan's treatment.

The court and PTI leaders urged Khan's supporters not to gather outside the hospital, warning that doing so would violate the court order.

Khan, 73, a former captain of Pakistan's national cricket team, served as prime minister from 2018 to 2022.

He was jailed in August 2023 and has faced more than 100 cases, including allegations involving state secrets and the sale of state gifts. Khan has denied wrongdoing and described the cases as politically motivated.

Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were both sentenced to 17 years in prison late last year.

His imprisonment sparked large protests by his supporters, followed by a government crackdown.

Despite being behind bars, Khan remains a major political figure in Pakistan and continues to command strong support.

Source: BBC