The federal government has given mixed signals over the Supreme Court’s (SC) order to transfer incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan to Shifa International Hospital, with the law minister saying the government will seek modification of the ruling while other senior officials have backed its implementation.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said on Tuesday that the government had reviewed the SC order and would approach the court over provisions concerning prison authorities and the Islamabad administration.
He said the government believed directing a convicted prisoner to a private hospital fell outside the legal framework governing medical facilities for inmates.
Tarar also said authorities wanted Khan to undergo assessment and treatment at a government hospital instead. Under prison rules, he added, a medical board determines whether an inmate requires treatment inside jail or at a hospital.
Where treatment outside prison is recommended, the prisoner is generally transferred to a government hospital unless it is established that the required treatment cannot be provided there, he maintained.
Tarar also questioned the wider implications of the ruling, asking whether similar arrangements would have to be extended to other prisoners with health problems. He said the government would seek clarification and removal of what it considered ambiguity in the order.
Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, however, said the government would implement the directive in full.
Speaking in the Senate, he said the executive was bound by the court’s decision and that legal relief could only be secured through courts.
Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry also said there was no objection to providing Khan with necessary facilities. He maintained that there was no room for conspiracy in the matter and said the government and state institutions were working together.
Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah described the ruling as independent and based on merit.
He said PTI had approached the proper legal forum and should respect judicial decisions even when they did not go in its favour.
The statements came as the SC ordered Khan’s transfer to Shifa International Hospital within two days for medical assessment and treatment. Khan, 73, has remained in prison since August 2023 following convictions that he and his party describe as politically motivated.
