Islamabad, 27 August (H.S.): Uzma Khan, sister of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan, has filed a fresh petition before the Supreme Court seeking an urgent hearing in a contempt case concerning the former premier’s transfer to a hospital. The petition comes after the court scheduled the hearing for September 16.

According to a report by The News, a three-member bench comprising Justice Shahid Waheed, Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Shakeel Ahmad has been constituted to hear the matter. In her petition, Uzma said Imran’s health was deteriorating in prison and described the issue concerning his health and life as extremely serious. She alleged that the court’s August 18 order had deliberately not been implemented in its true spirit. The court had directed that Imran be shifted to Shifa International Hospital, but he was instead taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).

Uzma urged the Supreme Court to ensure that the former prime minister is transferred to Shifa International Hospital for medical examination and treatment, in accordance with the court’s directions. She also sought the immediate and complete implementation of the August 18 order, arguing that failure to comply with a judicial directive constituted a deliberate and blatant violation of the law.

The petition further stated that, given the seriousness of the former prime minister’s health condition, the contempt proceedings should not be delayed because of the court’s case-fixation policy. According to the petition, the registrar’s office had earlier rejected an application on August 25 seeking an urgent hearing. Uzma has also requested the court to reconsider its decision to list the case for September 16 and schedule it for an earlier date.

In its August 18 order, the Supreme Court had directed authorities to take the former prime minister, who is being held at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, to Shifa International Hospital for a medical examination. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said that Imran was instead taken to PIMS, where doctors from Shifa International Hospital were also present. Khan has been in prison since August 2023 and has faced multiple legal cases since his removal from office following a no-confidence motion in April 2022.

The federal government filed a review petition before the Supreme Court a day after the August 18 order, challenging the directive. However, the registrar’s office returned the petition with objections. Subsequently, the Islamabad chief commissioner filed another petition seeking an early hearing of the review petition against the court’s order.

The PTI has condemned what it described as a violation of the court’s directive regarding the proposed transfer of its founder to Shifa International Hospital. The government, however, has defended the decision, saying that it was taken entirely on the basis of the prevailing security situation.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar