SC Returns Review Plea Imran Khan; Government Faces Fresh Objections

Islamabad – (Staff Reporter/Web Desk) – In a fresh twist, the Supreme Court has returned the government’s review plea against Imran Khan’s hospital transfer order. The registrar’s office pointed out that some paperwork was missing, so the plea could not move forward as filed.

This means the case is stuck in a holding pattern for now. The federal government will need to fix the paperwork and file the petition again before judges can even look at it.

The whole matter goes back to Tuesday, when the top court told jail officials to move the PTI founder from Adiala Jail to Shifa International Hospital. Judges gave a two-day window to get this done.

That window is closing tonight. Yet nothing has actually happened on the ground, and officials are giving mixed signals about what comes next.

Talking to reporters outside Parliament House, PM’s aide Rana Sanaullah said there is no fixed deadline for the transfer. He explained that the government wants its review plea settled first.

“Let the decision on the review petition come. This will make things clear,” he told journalists on Thursday. He also said the review has been refiled and a ruling is expected soon.

Sanaullah stressed that the government respects the Constitution and follows the law. At the same time, he said the court’s ruling could affect how the wider justice system works.

He raised a pointed question during the chat. Should every prisoner now get moved to a private hospital simply by asking?

According to him, lower courts would lose their footing to say no in such requests. That, he argued, is the bigger concern behind the government’s legal challenge.

Sanaullah also brought up Nawaz Sharif’s past case for comparison. He noted that Sharif was once shifted from jail to a government-run hospital, not a private one.

He added that doctors on Sharif’s medical board later suggested treatment abroad. Only after that recommendation did the government allow him to travel overseas for care.

Meanwhile, PTI’s legal team is not sitting quietly. A lawyer for Imran Khan said they plan to file a separate contempt petition.

The lawyer argued that the government is stalling and effectively ignoring a clear court order. He warned that continued delay amounts to disrespecting the judiciary itself.

PTI’s secretary general also weighed in through a social media post. He claimed the government had already dropped its review bid, though officials later clarified it would simply be refiled.

Either way, tensions between the party and the state keep rising. Every hour of delay adds fuel to an already heated political standoff.

Court records show the original order came with several other directions too. These included forming a medical board and allowing weekly family visits for Khan.

The board was meant to include his personal physician alongside government-appointed doctors. Judges wanted a balanced team overseeing his health during hospital care.

Officials, however, argue the order goes beyond normal jail rules. They believe such privileges should follow standard prison medical procedures, not special court directions.

Imran Khan, 73, has remained behind bars since August 2023. He and his party continue to describe the multiple cases against him as politically driven.

His health has become a recurring flashpoint since his removal from office in April 2022. Concerns over his blood pressure and general wellbeing have surfaced repeatedly in recent hearings.

For now, all eyes are on the Supreme Court’s next move. Once the review plea is refiled properly, a fresh hearing date should follow.

Until then, uncertainty continues to hang over the case. Both sides are digging in, waiting for the courts to settle the matter once and for all.