Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan has been returned to prison after spending several hours overnight at a hospital for medical examinations ordered by the country's Supreme Court, his party said on Friday.
Khan, 73, was transferred from Adiala prison in Rawalpindi to the state-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) hospital in Islamabad early on Friday, before being taken back to the jail, a spokesperson for his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said, reported Reuters.
His sister Uzma Khan, who was present during the examination, confirmed that Khan was stable and fit, but she added that the ex-prime minister repeatedly said he was being tortured in prison.
The brief hospital visit followed a Supreme Court order issued on Tuesday directing authorities to move the imprisoned former leader to the private hospital within 48 hours and allow him to be examined by a medical panel that includes his personal physician.
Khan was examined at PIMS hospital, rather than the private Shifa International Hospital recommended by the court, due to a "security situation created by PTI workers" along the planned route, information minister Attaullah Tarar said on X, a move Khan's party termed an "open violation" of the court order.
The information minister said the former premier was sent back after being medically examined by a team of doctors in the hospital overnight.
"Bring forward the full reports, comply with the order. Health is not propaganda, it is a fundamental human right," PTI spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram said in a post on X.
He was taken to the hospital after months of mounting concern from Mr Khan's family and party over his health. His lawyers have said his condition has deteriorated in prison and that he has suffered significant loss of vision in his right eye.
Public perception that the highly popular Khan was moved back to prison forcefully by authorities could spark new outrage among his supporters and potentially escalate tensions and street protests.
The cricketer-turned-politician's supporters lined the streets of the capital Islamabad overnight, showering flowers on the vehicle widely believed to be carrying him to the hospital. Aired live on Pakistani television, the images stood in stark contrast to how the country's broadcasters had covered Khan in recent years, tending to not even cite the ousted leader's name until Thursday night.
Senior PTI members had expected Khan to remain hospitalised at least for several weeks after he was allowed to leave prison to have his health checked for the first time since February.
But Pakistan's minister for parliamentary affairs, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, told ARY News on Thursday that "if doctors decide that his treatment at the hospital is necessary, he will be admitted. If they opine that he can be treated in jail, he will be sent back."
"A team of qualified doctors, including an ophthalmologist, a cardiologist and a physician conducted a detailed examination of him and declared him medically fit," Tarar said on Friday morning.
Authorities have disputed the severity of his condition, saying medical reports did not identify any illness requiring immediate treatment.
Concerns intensified in January when his family said he had lost about 85 per cent of the vision in his right eye, although the government later said his sight had substantially improved.
The hospital transfer followed a longstanding demand by Khan's family and PTI, who had sought access to treatment outside the prison system. In its order on Tuesday, the Supreme Court told authorities to transfer Khan to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad within 48 hours and allow him access to a medical panel that includes his personal physician.
Security was stepped up around the hospital on Thursday as officials prepared for the possibility of Khan's arrival, while journalists gathered in hopes of seeing the former leader, who has not appeared publicly since his imprisonment in 2023.
A day earlier, the government had asked the top court to review or withdraw its order allowing Khan to be examined at a private hospital. The court declined to hear the request on technical grounds and instructed authorities to complete the necessary paperwork
Mr Chaudhry said the government would comply with the court's ruling and could consider allowing Khan to receive treatment at a private hospital or abroad if adequate care was unavailable through government facilities.
The government has maintained that prisoners receive medical treatment in jail and can be transferred to state-run hospitals when necessary.
Khan, a former cricket star who was ousted in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in April 2022, has been behind bars since August 2023 after being convicted in multiple cases. He has consistently said the cases against him are politically motivated, an accusation the government denies.
