The Islamabad High Court on Thursday issued an Imran Khan medical board order, directing Islamabad’s chief commissioner to form a fresh medical board to assess the PTI founder’s health. At the same time, the court disposed of a petition seeking his transfer from jail to Shifa International Hospital for eye treatment.
The case was heard by a division bench comprising Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir and Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro. The court said the matter concerned Khan’s health and required an immediate fresh examination despite earlier medical assessments.
In its written order, the IHC said the new board should include Dr Muhammad Arif Khan, head of ophthalmology at PIMS Islamabad, and Prof Dr Nadeem Qureshi, head of the vitreo-retina department at Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, Rawalpindi. The board has been directed to submit its recommendations to the chief commissioner at the earliest.
Based on those recommendations, the chief commissioner will decide, under the law and prison rules, whether Khan should be transferred outside the prison for treatment or continue receiving care in jail. The court also said this new board would be in addition to the treatment measures already taken.
Why The Court Rejected The Hospital Transfer Plea
The bench rejected the request to transfer Khan directly to a private hospital. It noted that under the Pakistan Prison Rules, the authority to remove a convicted prisoner from prison for special treatment rests with the government, not the court acting under Section 561-A of the Criminal Procedure Code.
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The court also noted that Khan had already undergone several medical examinations on January 16, January 24, February 2 and February 20, 2026. According to a report submitted by the superintendent of Central Prison Rawalpindi, his condition had shown improvement.
Imran Khan’s Eye Condition And Family Access
According to a report submitted to the Supreme Court by lawyer Salman Safdar and the court’s amicus curiae, Khan has been diagnosed with central retinal vein occlusion, or CRVO, a serious eye condition. The former prime minister has twice been taken from Adiala jail to PIMS Islamabad for treatment of his right eye.
His latest hospital visit took place on February 24 for a scheduled follow-up examination under tight security. He is expected to receive the third injection in his treatment course on March 23.
The IHC further directed prison authorities to inform Khan’s family in line with jail rules if he develops a serious medical condition. It also said Dr Qureshi should remain in contact with the family regarding his medical status, while meetings with lawyers and relatives should continue under the mechanism already set by a larger IHC bench in an order issued on March 24, 2025
