The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has formally invoked the Supreme Court’s contempt jurisdiction, alleging that the federal government willfully subverted a judicial directive mandating party founder Imran Khan’s transfer to a designated medical facility—a defiance that the party argues compounds the former prime minister’s already precarious health, exacerbated by prolonged solitary confinement.
In a petition filed Saturday by PTI Secretary-General Salman Akram Raja and lawyer Uzair Bhandari, the party contends that the government’s decision to route Mr. Khan to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) on August 20-21, rather than Shifa International Hospital as explicitly ordered by the Supreme Court on August 18, constitutes a deliberate contempt of judicial authority.
At the heart of the petition is the Supreme Court’s unambiguous August 18 order, which mandated Khan’s transfer to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad for a comprehensive medical evaluation.
The PTI contends that the government deliberately subverted this judicial command by instead routing the former premier to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) on the night of August 20-21—a move the party alleges constitutes a willful violation of court authority.
Imran Khan Was Taken to Government PIMS Hospital Instead of Shifa, Despite Court Order
Legal Grounds and Demand for Accountability
The petition, filed by PTI Secretary-General Salman Akram Raja and lawyer Uzair Bhandari, urges the apex court to declare the respondents guilty of contempt of court, issue show-cause notices to those responsible, and summon the respondents for personal appearance before the bench.
⚡ The legal team of #Imram filed a contempt of court petition in the Supreme Court over the failure to implement its decision to shift the jailed #PTI leader to a private hospital for his medical treatment.
Barrister @salmanAraja said the Supreme Court remains the nation’s… pic.twitter.com/8YAoe0ataN
— Shafek Koreshe (@shafeKoreshe) August 22, 2026
Named as respondents are Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarer, and Information Minister Attaullah Tarer.
The party has also requested the court to appoint a judicial officer or form a local commission to oversee the strict implementation of its original order and to secure Mr. Khan’s immediate, court-compliant transfer to Shifa Hospital for proper treatment.
Government Stance on Khan’s Hospital Visit
On Friday, the Government made a stunning revelation that Imran Khan was taken to the government’s PIMS hospital in Islamabad
Information Minister Ata Ullah Tarar claimed the decision was warranted in view of the fact that Khan’s visit needed security arrangements while a crowd of his supporters had gathered outside the Shifa hospital.
He claimed Imran Khan had a proper check-up in the presence of his sister Dr. Uzma Khannum and that the former prime minister was declared medically fit.
If contempt of court was committed, it was by Imran Khan’s sisters and his party.
Who gathered groups of people outside Shifa Hospital? Did the Supreme Court not say there should be no politics? Yet crowds were gathered, barriers were removed, political statements were made and… pic.twitter.com/vaLixaiHIC— The Thursday Times (@thursday_times) August 22, 2026
Government’s Security Justification Rebutted
While the government, through Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, has defended the deviation by citing security threats from PTI workers along the route to Shifa, the PTI has dismissed this reasoning as a pretext.
Party Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan emphasized that the Supreme Court’s directive contained no conditional language, leaving no room for executive reinterpretation.
Khan’s Solitary Confinement: A Humanitarian Concern
Amid the legal wrangling, new details have emerged regarding Mr. Khan’s physical and mental state while in isolation at Adiala Jail. According to party sources, the former prime minister has confided in his sister, Dr. Uzma Khanum, about the severe toll of solitary confinement.
Khan told her sister he was being kept in solitary confinement, not given access to newspapers and TV news channels, and denied proper healthcare. He also alleged that he was being tortured.
#WATCH: Doctor of Pakistan’s former PM Imran Khan says he waited for him at a private hospital, where he was meant to be brought from jail, on court order, but couldn’t meet him as he was taken instead to a state-run hospital. https://t.co/JNkSeey24I pic.twitter.com/nQjZ0H5vqA
— Arab News Pakistan (@arabnewspk) August 21, 2026
Dr. Khanum, a medical professional who recently visited him, has reportedly expressed grave alarm over his worsening health, limited medical oversight, and the psychological strain of prolonged separation from family and legal counsel.
These personal accounts add a poignant layer to the PTI’s legal challenge, framing the contempt petition not merely as a procedural dispute but as a matter of fundamental rights and humane treatment. The party argues that the government’s actions have compounded Mr. Khan’s suffering by delaying specialized care that was explicitly authorized by the highest court.
Judicial Process and Timing
Addressing queries about the timing of the filing, Mr. Raja clarified that the petition was submitted at the earliest procedural opportunity, noting that Supreme Court filings require mandatory scrutiny before listing—a process that precludes instantaneous hearings.
He stressed, however, that the gravity of the alleged contempt and the humanitarian dimensions of the case warrant urgent judicial intervention.
As the legal standoff intensifies, the Supreme Court now faces a critical decision: whether to treat the government’s actions as a technical lapse or as a deliberate affront to judicial authority, with the well-being of a former head of government hanging in the balance.
Kiran Asim is a writer who covers the U.S., Europe, South Asia, and the Middle East. Her reports and analyses look at the geostrategic issues and contemporary developments and their economic and political implications. She also writes about society and education.
Muhammad Luqman is Associate Editor at Views News Now. He writes on wide-ranging issues including economy, South Asia, the Middle East, agriculture, economy and innovation. Luqman has worked some of the leading news organizations and won acclaim for his original and research-based works.
