PBC Members Condemn Government Over Imran Khan Hospital Order

Eight members of the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) have strongly condemned the government’s alleged failure to comply with a Supreme Court order directing the transfer of PTI founder Imran Khan hospital for medical examination and treatment.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the PBC members described the government’s actions as a “blatant, wilful and deliberate violation” of the Supreme Court’s August 18 order requiring Khan to be moved to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad.

The statement was signed by PBC members including PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, Abid Shahid Zuberi, Muhammad Maqsood Buttar, Shafqat Mehmood Chauhan, Munir Ahmed Kakar, Abdul Sattar Khan, Salahuddin Ahmed and Qazi Muhammad Arshad.

PBC Members Question Government’s Compliance

The members said the Supreme Court’s directive was clear and binding, arguing that the executive had no authority to disregard it.

They warned that ignoring a judicial order represented a serious challenge to the independence and authority of the judiciary and could weaken constitutional governance.

According to the statement, allowing the executive to decide which court orders it will follow would undermine the constitutional separation of powers and place citizens’ fundamental rights at greater risk.

The PBC members also argued that judicial orders serve as an important constitutional safeguard against arbitrary state action.

Review Petition Does Not Suspend Court Order, PBC Says

The lawyers further maintained that the government’s decision to file a review petition did not suspend the Supreme Court’s original directive.

They said the government remained bound by the August 18 order unless the court itself changed or suspended it.

The PBC members demanded that officials responsible for what they described as non-compliance should be identified and that legal proceedings should be initiated against them.

They also argued that the 26th and 27th Constitutional Amendments could not provide constitutional protection for disobeying an existing Supreme Court order.

Questions Raised Over Treatment of Political Leaders

The statement also raised concerns about what the PBC members described as differences in the treatment of Imran Khan compared with other former prime ministers facing criminal convictions.

Without directly naming him in the relevant passage, the lawyers referred to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who was previously permitted to travel abroad for medical treatment following a court order and an undertaking.

The PBC members questioned whether constitutional protections concerning life, health, dignity and access to medical treatment should be applied differently according to a person’s political circumstances.

Their remarks add to the growing legal and political debate surrounding Khan’s medical treatment while he remains imprisoned.

Supreme Court Had Ordered Transfer to Shifa Hospital

The Supreme Court had ordered the government on August 18 to transfer Khan to Shifa International Hospital within two days for examination and treatment by a multidisciplinary medical board.

A three-member bench headed by Justice Shahid Waheed and comprising Justices Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Ishtiaq Ibrahim issued the interim directions while hearing petitions concerning Khan’s hospitalisation, access to his personal doctors and family members, and medical records.

The court also directed that Khan’s personal physician, Dr Faisal Sultan, and Dr Uzma Khan be present during his medical examination.

At the same time, Khan’s family, PTI members and lawyers were barred from publicly disclosing his medical condition or reports until the next hearing.

Imran Khan Hospital Order Dispute Escalates as PTI Seeks Contempt Action

Government Sends Khan to PIMS Instead

The government subsequently challenged the Supreme Court’s directive through a review petition, arguing that transferring Khan to the private hospital was discriminatory and conflicted with prison rules and principles of natural justice.

The Supreme Court returned the review plea on Thursday after raising objections concerning the affidavit, facts presented in the petition and the arrangement of the paper books.

Preparations were later made around Shifa International Hospital, creating expectations that Khan would be transferred there in accordance with the court’s order.

However, on Friday, Khan was instead taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) for a medical examination before being returned to prison.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar attributed the decision to security concerns, saying PTI workers had created a security situation along the route to and outside Shifa International Hospital.

The minister said a team of doctors, including an ophthalmologist, cardiologist and physician, examined Khan and declared him medically fit.

PIMS later said specialists from Shifa International Hospital participated in Khan’s eye assessment, while other examinations were conducted by PIMS specialists.

Hospital Dispute Keeps Pressure on Government

Khan has previously been taken to PIMS following concerns over an eye condition affecting his right eye.

The latest dispute has therefore placed his medical treatment at the centre of another confrontation between the government, PTI and the judiciary.

The government has also filed a fresh review petition against the Supreme Court’s August 18 order. Islamabad’s chief commissioner argued that his office had a direct legal interest in the matter and that the order affected its constitutional authority.

The latest intervention by PBC members is likely to intensify scrutiny of the government’s handling of the court directive, while the Supreme Court’s response to the continuing legal challenges could determine what happens next in the Imran Khan hospital dispute.