Last Updated on August 23, 2026 by YeJahan
YEJAHAN REPORT
ISLAMABAD (Aug 19, 2026): Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and former Prime Minister Imran Khan has still not been shifted from Adiala Jail to the hospital, as the government remains hesitant to comply with the Supreme Court’s order issued yesterday, Tuesday, August 18.
The court had granted a 48-hour deadline to transfer the PTI founder to Shifa International Hospital, with only a few hours now remaining. Whether the government will implement the court’s order or wait for a ruling on its review petition is a question echoing across Pakistan.
Big day for PTI: SC orders government to shift Imran Khan to private hospital within 48 hours
The federal government on Wednesday, filed a review petition in the Supreme Court against the decision to transfer the PTI founder to the hospital.
The petitioner, the Chief Commissioner of Islamabad, filed the request through the Advocate General of Islamabad. The petition positions that the Supreme Court, while issuing an interim order on August 18, directed the transfer of the PTI founder to Shifa International Hospital, an order that exceeds its jurisdiction and should be reviewed.
The petition further states that the PTI founder’s medical examinations have been conducted regularly in the past, and a medical board has treated him multiple times. It argues that the court should have decided on the transfer only after obtaining the opinion of medical experts.
The position adopted in the petition also highlights that police supervision of a prisoner transferred to a hospital is mandatory, and the interim order ignored jail rules regarding the transfer of prisoners. Furthermore, the Chief Commissioner of Islamabad was not given a prior notice.
The matter came before the Supreme Court for the first time, and the relevant parties were not issued formal notices. The petition argues that relief of a final nature was granted at an interim stage, whereas Article 10-A of the Constitution guarantees the right to a fair trial and due process. The petition requests the court to withdraw or review the August 18 order.
