Former prime minister Imran Khan was briefly transferred from Central Jail Adiala to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad for an overnight eye check-up and follow-up treatment, the hospital confirmed on Wednesday.
The 74-year-old former premier was brought to the medical facility during the night of Nov. 10 to Nov. 11, 2026. The hospital said in a statement that Khan "remained vitally stable before, during and after the procedure" before being discharged at 2:30 am to return to prison.
Khan's party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, voiced concern over the unannounced transfer, stating that the overnight admission "raises deeply troubling questions about his health... and the transparency surrounding his condition."
Emphasising that authorities remain accountable for Khan's physical well-being, the party asserted that "a human being’s health is not a political bargaining chip. Nor can the medical treatment of a former Prime Minister be reduced to a procedural formality."
The hospital visit comes after the Supreme Court ordered in August that Khan be shifted to a civilian medical facility for care, though authorities sent him back to prison following a brief stay at a state-run facility. Medical access has remained contentious, sparking protests by thousands of supporters in the party's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa stronghold in October over restrictions placed on his doctors and family.
Khan, who served as prime minister from 2018 until his ouster in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in 2022, has remained in custody since August 2023. He confronts an array of charges ranging from corruption to treason stemming from anti-establishment unrest, all of which he and his legal representatives dismiss as politically motivated efforts to undermine his popularity.
A former cricket star, Khan rose to office with backing from the country's military establishment before a rift emerged over foreign policy and major institutional appointments. He has publicly blamed military officials, including Army Chief General Asim Munir, for engineering his removal from office. The military maintains that it does not intervene in political affairs.
