ISLAMABAD, Aug 27 (Alliance News): Uzma Khan, sister of incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, has approached the Supreme Court seeking an early hearing of her contempt petition concerning the former prime minister’s transfer to hospital.
The plea comes after the Supreme Court fixed the contempt petition for September 16 before a three-member bench comprising Justice Shahid Waheed, Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Shakil Ahmed.
In her latest application, Uzma said Imran Khan’s health was deteriorating in jail and described the matter concerning his health and life as extremely serious.
She alleged that the Supreme Court’s August 18 order had not been implemented in its true spirit, claiming that Imran was taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) instead of Shifa International Hospital, as directed by the court.
Uzma requested the Supreme Court to order Imran’s transfer to Shifa International Hospital for medical examination and treatment in accordance with its earlier directive.
She argued that continued failure to implement a judicial order amounted to an intentional and blatant violation of the law.
Request for urgent hearing
The petitioner maintained that the court’s case-fixation policy should not prevent an urgent hearing because of the seriousness of Imran Khan’s health condition.
According to the plea, the registrar’s office had earlier rejected an application seeking an urgent hearing on August 25.
Uzma has now requested that the contempt petition be taken up during the current week or, alternatively, next week.
She also asked the court to reconsider its decision to schedule the matter for September 16 and fix it for an earlier date.
Dispute over hospital transfer
In its August 18 order, the Supreme Court had directed authorities to transfer Imran Khan, who is incarcerated at Adiala Jail, to Shifa International Hospital for a medical examination.
However, he was instead taken to Pims. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said doctors from Shifa International Hospital were also present during the medical assessment.
The development triggered a dispute between the PTI and the government over implementation of the Supreme Court’s directive.
The PTI has alleged that the court order regarding Imran’s transfer to Shifa was violated, while the government has defended the decision, saying it was made because of security concerns.
Government seeks review
A day after the Supreme Court issued its August 18 order, the federal government filed a review petition challenging the directive. The petition was later returned by the registrar’s office with objections.
Islamabad Chief Commissioner subsequently filed another petition seeking an early hearing of the government’s review petition.
Imran Khan has remained in prison since August 2023 following convictions in multiple cases, which he and his party have described as politically motivated.
The latest plea will now seek to bring forward the hearing of the contempt petition amid continuing concerns raised by his family and party over his medical treatment.
