The party of jailed former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has filed a contempt petition against the government after authorities took him to a state-run hospital instead of the private facility ordered by the country’s top court.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf officials said the petition was filed on Saturday, seeking action against senior government officials over the move.
“The petition seeks action against the prime minister, law minister, information minister” and other government officials, said Naeem Panjutha, a legal adviser for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.
He said the petition also calls for Khan to receive treatment at the private hospital ordered by the court.
Khan, a former international cricketer who remains popular in Pakistan, has been imprisoned since August 2023 on charges he says are politically motivated.
His removal from office followed a fallout with Pakistan’s powerful military. His arrest later triggered large protests, including attacks on military installations.
The latest dispute over his medical treatment could increase tensions and revive demonstrations by his supporters.
A three-judge bench on Tuesday ordered the government to transfer Khan from Adiala Jail to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad within two days for a medical examination.
Instead, officials took Khan to the state-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) overnight on Friday for a brief check-up before returning him to jail.
The PTI said Khan was not allowed to see his personal physician, which it also considers a breach of the court order.
The party interprets the court’s directive as requiring Khan to remain under medical supervision until at least mid-September.
Khan’s sister, Uzma Khan, attended his examination at PIMS. She told the media that her brother was physically fit but said he had complained of mistreatment in prison.
“Khan told me that he is being repeatedly tortured in prison”.
The interior and law ministries, as well as prison authorities, did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters on the allegations.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Friday that Khan was examined at PIMS because of security risks.
Khan’s supporters gathered on Islamabad’s streets overnight following the hospital transfer.
PTI leaders said the incident would increase pressure on the government and strengthen preparations for a planned protest march on September 27.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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