ISLAMABAD — Security has been dramatically tightened across Islamabad as preparations reportedly intensify for the possible transfer of jailed former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan from Adiala Jail to Shifa International Hospital.
Several roads leading to the hospital have been closed to traffic, barriers have been erected along key routes and additional police personnel have been deployed around the medical facility. Security has reportedly been placed on high alert from Koral Chowk to Zero Point, while media vehicles have also been removed from the hospital’s vicinity.
The heightened security comes amid reports that Khan could be transferred to Shifa International at any moment today in compliance with a Supreme Court order.
Islamabad police chief has reached Shifa International Hospital, further fueling speculation that preparations for the transfer are at an advanced stage.
The development follows three-member Supreme Court bench’s order on August 18 directing that Khan be moved from Adiala Jail to Shifa International Hospital for medical examination and treatment. The court directed that he remain under treatment until the next hearing, scheduled for September 16.
Under the court’s directions, Khan’s personal physician, Dr Faisal Sultan, and his sister, Dr Uzma Khan, will be permitted to remain involved in his treatment and medical examinations. His family members will also be allowed to meet him once a week.
The court has ordered the formation of a medical board comprising relevant specialists, including a physician, general surgeon, internal medicine specialist, ophthalmologist and cardiologist. Khan or his family will bear the cost of his treatment at the private hospital.
Supreme Court has also sought Khan’s complete medical record. A report presented before the court stated that he had undergone 39 medical examinations by different specialists between November 2023 and August 2026.
The medical record reportedly includes treatment for a condition affecting the eye known as central retinal vein occlusion. Jail authorities told the court that vision in the affected eye had largely returned to normal.
The issue of Khan’s medical treatment has also triggered a legal confrontation between the government and the judiciary. The federal government challenged the Supreme Court’s hospital-transfer order, arguing that existing laws governing prisoners’ medical treatment should be taken into account and warning that the decision could have wider implications for other inmates seeking treatment at private hospitals.
The government’s review petition, however, was reportedly returned by the Supreme Court registrar’s office with objections. The government is expected to address those objections before attempting to file the petition again.
During the proceedings, the Supreme Court also questioned the confidentiality of Khan’s medical reports and the cost of treatment at the private hospital. His lawyer assured the court that his family would cover the medical expenses, while Salman Akram Raja assured the court that Khan’s medical reports would not be used for political purposes.
The court also sought information concerning Khan’s meetings with family members during the past three years and his contact with his sons.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi are reportedly holding an important meeting, with Khan’s possible transfer believed to be among the issues under discussion.
For now, the extraordinary security deployment around Islamabad and Shifa International has become the clearest indication yet that authorities are preparing for a potentially imminent transfer.
