ISLAMABAD,: The federal government has said it will examine the Supreme Court’s order directing PTI founder Imran Khan’s transfer to Shifa International Hospital and will pursue a legal review or appeal, citing concerns over medical, administrative and security grounds.
In its official position following the court’s decision, the government stated that Imran Khan is entitled to all medically necessary treatment and that the state remains responsible for protecting his health and providing specialist care.
However, it raised objections to what it termed a “personality-specific arrangement.” The government said Article 25 guarantees equality before law and that any medical facility available to one prisoner must be available to every similarly placed prisoner under the same objective criteria.
It added that courts must protect the right to medical treatment, but hospital selection, security arrangements, custody protocols and duration of admission should remain linked to medical advice, prison rules and administrative feasibility. Doctors, not political preference, must decide on hospitalization and its length.
The government further said that an order to keep a convicted prisoner in a private hospital until further directions creates an indefinite custodial arrangement without an identified medical threshold for discharge. “Shifa International Hospital cannot become a privileged extension of prison for one political personality while ordinary prisoners remain governed by a different framework,” the statement read.
It proposed a test for uniformity: “Would an ordinary prisoner with the same medical condition receive the same hospital, the same duration of admission and the same judicial protection? If not, the arrangement raises a serious question of exceptional treatment.”
The statement said the age of person-specific judicial activism must remain closed and that the authority of courts rests on principles applicable equally to every citizen.
While respecting the judiciary and complying with lawful orders, the government may seek review or clarification where an order appears to enter the operational domain of the executive. It noted that hospital security, uninterrupted healthcare services and lawful custody cannot be treated as secondary considerations.
The government’s position, it said, remains “complete medical care, uniform application of law and no special custodial regime for any individual.”
The Supreme Court earlier in the day had ordered Imran Khan’s transfer to Shifa International Hospital until the next hearing, and directed formation of a medical board under strict security.
Legal experts say the government’s planned review petition will likely focus on prison rules and the scope of judicial directions in medical matters.
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