ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has criticised the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for celebrating the Supreme Court’s decision regarding the transfer of former prime minister Imran Khan to hospital, saying the party’s reaction reflects its desire to secure relief for its jailed leader.
In a statement posted on X, Khawaja Asif said PTI’s desire to obtain an NRO for its leader had reached new heights, claiming that one of the party’s many founders had received what he described as extraordinary relief from the judiciary.
He said PTI’s celebrations showed its strong desire to have its leader released from prison by any means.
The defence minister recalled that the PTI founder had previously demanded tougher treatment for political opponents during their imprisonment. He described the current situation as a major turnaround, saying a person once portrayed by the party as an unbreakable and self-styled man of steel was now being supported by his party for a transfer from prison to hospital.
تحریکِ انصاف کی اپنے قائد کے لیے این آر او حاصل کرنے کی خواہش اب نئی بلندیوں کو چھو رہی ہے۔ آج پی ٹی آئی کے بے شمار ’’بانیوں‘‘ میں سے ایک بانی کو معزز عدلیہ کی جانب سے غیر معمولی ریلیف ملا، اور جس انداز میں پوری جماعت نے اس فیصلے پر جشن منایا، وہ اس کی اس شدید خواہش کی عکاسی کرتا…
— Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) August 18, 2026
Khawaja Asif said that before celebrating the court’s decision, PTI should address the apparent contradictions in its political narrative.
The Supreme Court has ordered that Imran Khan be shifted to Shifa Hospital until the next hearing and directed that a medical board be constituted for him.
The court also ordered that he be transferred under tight security and that law and order outside the hospital should not be disrupted.
Read also: Tarar: Govt to File Review Petition Against SC Order on Imran Khan’s Treatment
