Imran Khan moved to Shifa International Hospital on Supreme Court order

Pakistan's Supreme Court ordered former prime minister and cricket captain Imran Khan to be transferred from Adiala Jail to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad on August 19, 2026. A three-member bench headed by Justice Shahid Waheed issued the directive after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf filed a petition citing Khan's worsening health. Khan arrived at the private hospital in the early hours of August 21, 2026, under strict security arrangements.

The bench instructed the government to facilitate Khan's move to Shifa International Hospital so that a multidisciplinary medical board could assess and manage his condition. The court also ordered the formation of a five-member medical board to oversee his care, which includes Khan's sister Dr Uzma Khan and his personal physician Dr Faisal Sultan. The names of the remaining board members have not been confirmed.

Khan, aged 73, has been held in Adiala Jail since August 2023 on corruption charges that he deny. His legal team and party began raising formal health concerns in February 2026, stating that an untreated condition had left him with only 15 percent vision in his right eye. Prior to this transfer, he had attended the state-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad on several occasions for brief consultations related to that eye condition.

Fourteen former international cricket captains, among them Greg Chappell, Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev, wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in 2026 expressing concern about Khan's health and calling for dignified treatment.

What did the Supreme Court order establish for Khan's medical care?

The Supreme Court bench directed that a five-member medical board, including Uzma and Sultan, would be responsible for overseeing Khan's treatment at Shifa International Hospital. The court did not specify a duration for the hospital stay, and no timeline has been confirmed by either the court or the hospital.

Al Jazeera reported the transfer and confirmed that the court had directed the government to facilitate Khan's move to the private facility for assessment by the board. The exact composition of the board beyond the two named members remains unconfirmed, and the specific health conditions cited in the Supreme Court order beyond the eye condition have not been publicly verified.

What is the current status of the government's legal challenge?

The Pakistani government filed a review petition on August 20, 2026, contesting the Supreme Court's transfer order. The government's position was that Khan should be assessed at a public hospital rather than a private one.

"Former Prime Minister Imran Khan has been shifted from Adiala Jail to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad following Supreme Court order," a statement read as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

The petition was returned by the Supreme Court registrar's office because the paperwork submitted was incomplete. Whether the government filed a revised petition after that rejection has not been confirmed at the time of reporting. The transfer proceeded as ordered, with Khan reaching Shifa International Hospital under security cover in the early hours of August 21, 2026, and no further procedural hearing date has been announced publicly.